Hepatitis A is a liver disease caused by the Hepatitis A virus (HAV), which, in the public perception, tends to be closely linked to the spread of “disease from mouth” food. In fact, the route of transmission of hepatitis A is not limited to the way in which food is transmitted, and this one-sided perception may lead us to miss out on key elements in the prevention of hepatitis A.
Hepatitis A virus is transmitted mainly through faeces, which means that the virus is excreted from the faeces of the infected, contaminating water sources, food, utensils, etc., and then infecting the susceptible. In terms of food transmission, the consumption of fresh or uncooked seafood products contaminated with Hepatitis A virus, such as shellfish, fur, etc., is a more common cause of infection. For example, in some coastal areas, if hygiene conditions are poor or food processing is irregular, hepatitis A virus may be attached to these foods and people are at risk of infection if they are consumed. In addition, some contaminated vegetable fruits may also be a vector for the transmission of hepatitis A if they are not cleaned or exposed to contaminated water during planting.
In addition to the spread of food, the spread of water resources cannot be ignored. When sources of drinking water are contaminated with Hepatitis A virus, such as inappropriate discharge of sewage into the water supply system, or in areas with poor sanitation, when rainwater washes up viral excreta into water sources, people are highly vulnerable to hepatitis A when they drink such water. This mode of transmission is often prone to outbreaks of hepatitis A in densely populated and unsanitary areas.
Close people-to-people contact is also an important means of spreading hepatitis A. In daily life, the sharing of personal items such as toothbrushes and razor blades with hepatitis A patients, which can lead to mucous membrane breakage, can lead to the virus entering the body of a healthy person through a break. In addition, in densely populated places such as kindergartens, schools, if good hygiene practices are lacking, such as infrequent hand-washing, they may also be infected by touching mouths and noses after exposure to the surface of a virus contaminated object. In areas with inadequate health-care facilities, hepatitis A may also be transmitted within health-care facilities, such as incomplete sterilization of medical devices or failure by health-care personnel to strictly observe protective norms in the care of patients, which may result in the transmission of the virus.
The recognition of the diversity of means of transmission of hepatitis A is essential for the prevention of hepatitis A. At the personal level, we have to develop good hygiene habits, wash our hands, especially before, after exposure to food and excrement; avoid drinking untreated water and use boiling water as much as possible; ensure that seafood and other foods are cooked and boiled; and refrain from sharing with others personal effects that may cause mucous membranes to break. With regard to public health management, water protection and sewage treatment should be strengthened to ensure safe drinking water; food hygiene should be strictly regulated, and food processing and marketing should be regulated; education on hepatitis A prevention and control should be conducted in collective places such as schools and kindergartens, so as to raise public awareness and prevention of hepatitis A; and medical institutions should strictly apply a sterilization quarantine system to prevent rapid medical transmission.
The means of transmission of hepatitis A are multifaceted, and the spread of food is only one of them. Only with a comprehensive understanding of the means of transmission of hepatitis A will we be able to take more effective and comprehensive preventive measures to protect ourselves and others ‘ physical and mental health, to reduce the risk of hepatitis A disease and to make our living environment healthier and safer.
