NSWHealth is urging the South Korean community to take care and watch for symptomsof hepatitis A following the diagnosis of eight cases in Sydney and the ACTsince June.
NSWHealth is working closely with ACT Health to investigate the cases, all ofwhich have been confirmed in residents of South Korean background. The NSWcases are from South Eastern Sydney, Northern Sydney and Western Sydney.
DrVicky Sheppeard, Director Communicable Diseases NSW Health, explained that NSWHealth is also working closely with the NSW Food Authority to determine whetherthe cases are linked to a food source.
“HepatitisA is caused by a virus that spreads in contaminated food or through poorhygiene,” she said.
“Symptomsmay include nausea, vomiting, fever and yellowing of the skin, dark urine andpale stools.
“Symptomsmay be very mild, especially in young children, but anyone with symptoms shouldsee their doctor right away and not handle food for other people.”
DrSheppeard said that Australia has a very low incidence of hepatitis A.
“Despite this, hepatitisA can easily spread from person to person, which is a real risk among the SouthKorean community in Sydney at present, so we are urging people to takeparticular care with hygiene,” she said.
“This includes washinghands thoroughly in soap and water for at least 15 seconds and drying themthoroughly.”
Washing hands is particularly important after:
- goingto the toilet
- touchingsoiled linen or items or changing nappies
- beforepreparing or eating food.
SouthKorea, where hepatitis A is usually uncommon, is experiencing a large outbreakof hepatitis A with over 11,000 cases reported so far this year.
Twodoses of vaccine prevents infection, and at least one dose is stronglyrecommended prior to travel to countries where hepatitis A poses a risk. Thehepatitis A vaccine is available at GPs.
For further information on hepatitis see our NSW Health factsheet.
