Comparing hepatitis A, B and C
Comparing hepatitis A, B and C
Hepatitis A (hep A, HAV)
What is it?
- Hepatitis A is a virus that causes inflammation of the liver
- Only acute infection (short term)
How long is the incubation period? (Time of exposure to onset of symptoms)
- Between 15 and 50 days
- Average 30 days
How long is the window period? (Time of exposure until antibodies can be detected)
- Hard to define due to length of infection
How is it transmitted?
- By faecal-oral contact (poo-to-mouth)
What behaviours place people at risk?
- Eating food prepared by a person with hep A who hasn’t washed their hands
- Intimate sexual contact with a person with hep A (e.g. oral/anal sex)
- Travel to developing countries
- Drinking water infected with hep A
Is there a vaccine?
- Yes – 2 injections over 6 months
What are the symptoms in acute (short term) infection?
- Adults may have light coloured faeces, dark urine, fatigue, jaundice (yellowing of the eyes and skin), nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain or discomfort and loss of appetite
- Some people, especially young children, may have no symptoms
What are the symptoms in chronic infection?
- NONE
- Hep A is only an acute (short term) infection
What treatment is available?
- Not necessary
- Some people may require hospitalisation if symptoms are severe enough
What are methods of prevention?
- Vaccination
- Immunoglobulin within two weeks of exposure
- Washing hands with soap and water after going to the toilet, and before eating or handling food
- If travelling to developing countries, consider vaccination and seek advice on food and water risks
Hepatitis B (hep B, HBV)
What is it?
- Hepatitis B is a virus that causes inflammation of the liver
- Chronic in around 5% of adults
- Chronic for around 90-95% of newborns who contract hep B at birth
- Can lead to cirrhosis and liver cancer
How long is the incubation period? (Time of exposure to onset of symptoms)
- Between 30 and 180 days
- Average 30 days
How long is the window period? (Time of exposure until antibodies can be detected)
- Between 3 and 6 months
How is it transmitted?
- Blood-to-blood contact
- Sexual contact
- From a hep B positive mother to newborn baby (vertical transmission)
What behaviours place people at risk?
- Sexual contact with a person who has hep B
- Use of unsterile equipment when injecting drugs
- Use of unsterile tattooing or body piercing equipment
- People born in countries with high hep B prevalence
Is there a vaccine?
- Yes – 3 injections over 6 months for adults (4 injections for children – part of childhood vaccinations)
What are the symptoms in acute (short term) infection?
- Adults may have light coloured faeces, dark urine, fatigue, jaundice (yellowing of the eyes and skin), nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain or discomfort and loss of appetite
- Most people have some symptoms
What are the symptoms in chronic infection?
- Fatigue, nausea, muscle aches and pains, abdominal discomfort and jaundice
What treatment is available?
- Pegylated interferon
- Anti-viral medication (entecavir, tenofovir or lamivudine)
- Some people choose to use complementary therapies for symptoms
What are methods of prevention?
- Vaccination
- Immunoglobulin within 72 hours of exposure
- Avoid blood-to-blood contact
- Do not re-use or share any injecting equipment
- Practice safe sex
- Avoid sharing personal items (e.g. razor and toothbrushes)
- Follow standard infection control precautions for first aid
- Seek medical advice for accidental exposure
Hepatitis C (hep C, HCV)
What is it?
- Hepatitis C is a virus that causes inflammation of the liver
- Chronic for around 75% of people
- Can lead to cirrhosis and liver cancer
How long is the incubation period? (Time of exposure to onset of symptoms)
- Between 6 to 10 weeks
How long is the window period? (Time of exposure until antibodies can be detected)
- Between 3 and 6 months
How is it transmitted?
- Blood-to-blood contact
- From a hep C positive mother to newborn baby (vertical transmission – rare)
What behaviours place people at risk?
- Use of unsterile equipment when injecting drugs
- Use of unsterile tattooing or body piercing equipment
- Receiving blood products (prior to 1990 in Australia)
- People born in countries with high prevalence
Is there a vaccine?
- No available vaccine
What are the symptoms in acute (short term) infection?
- Adults may have light coloured faeces, dark urine, fatigue, jaundice (yellowing of the eyes and skin), nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain or discomfort and loss of appetite
- People may have a range of symptoms, these are usually mild
What are the symptoms in chronic infection?
- Fatigue, nausea, muscle aches and pains, abdominal discomfort and mood swings
What treatment is available?
- Treatment can cure HCV
- Direct acting antiviral (DAA) tablets, no injections
- 95% of people cured
- Tablets taken daily for 8-12 weeks
- Little to no side effects
What are methods of prevention?
- Avoid blood-to-blood contact
- Do not re-use or share any injecting equipment
- Avoid sharing personal grooming items (e.g. razor and toothbrushes)
- Follow standard infection control precautions for first aid
- Seek medical advice for accidental exposure
