How can someone prevent contracting hepatitis

To reduce your risk of spreading or catching the hepatitis A virus: Always wash your hands thoroughly after using the restroom and when you come in contact with an infected person's blood, stools, or other bodily fluid.

Avoid unclean food and water. Avoid unclean food and water You should take the following precautions: Avoid raw shellfish. Beware of sliced fruit that may have been washed in contaminated water. Travelers should peel all fresh fruits and vegetables themselves. DO NOT buy food from street vendors. Use only carbonated bottled water for brushing teeth and drinking in areas where the water may be unsafe. Remember that ice cubes can carry infection. If no water is available, boiling water is the best method for eliminating hepatitis A.

Bringing the water to a full boil for at least 1 minute generally makes it safe to drink. Heated food should be hot to the touch and eaten right away. All people 18 and older should be tested for hepatitis C at least once. Those at high risk of infection should be tested for hepatitis C regardless of age.

People at high risk of hepatitis C infection include. Antiviral medications are used to treat hepatitis C infection. With recent advances in treatment, most people with chronic hepatitis C infection can be cured. Treatment also decreases the risk of long-term complications of the disease. There is no vaccine to prevent hepatitis C infection. You can take steps to avoid hepatitis C, including. About 4 in pregnant women who are infected with hepatitis C will pass it to their babies.

The risk is related to how much of the virus a woman has in her body and whether she also is infected with HIV. There are no preventive measures available that can reduce the risk of passing the virus to the baby. Cesarean birth does not lower the risk of transmission to the baby. You can breastfeed your baby if you have the hepatitis C virus.

Hepatitis C testing is recommended for all pregnant women during each pregnancy. Currently, there are no hepatitis C treatments approved for use during pregnancy. But if you have the virus, you will need special care during pregnancy to make sure you stay healthy. If you are infected with the hepatitis C virus, your baby should be tested, usually when your baby is at least 18 months old.

There is no newborn vaccine for hepatitis C. Babies who are infected with hepatitis C will need ongoing medical care. You also will need long-term health care. You can start treatment with an antiviral medication after pregnancy. If you breastfeed your baby, treatment should start after finishing breastfeeding. Antibodies: Proteins in the blood that the body makes in reaction to foreign substances, such as bacteria and viruses.

Carriers: People who are infected with the organism of a disease without showing symptoms. These people can pass the disease to other people. Cells: The smallest units of a structure in the body. Cells are the building blocks for all parts of the body. Cirrhosis: A disease caused by loss of liver cells. The lost cells are replaced by scar tissue that impairs liver function. Complications: Diseases or conditions that happen as a result of another disease or condition.

An example is pneumonia that occurs as a result of the flu. A complication also can occur as a result of a condition, such as pregnancy. An example of a pregnancy complication is preterm labor. Diabetes Mellitus: A condition in which the levels of sugar in the blood are too high. Hepatitis B: An infection caused by a virus that can be spread through blood, semen, or other body fluid infected with the virus.

Hepatitis C: An infection caused by a virus that can be spread through infected blood. Jaundice: A buildup of bilirubin a brownish yellow substance formed from the breakdown of red cells in the blood that causes the skin to have a yellowish appearance.

Global Viral Hepatitis. World Hepatitis Day: July Social Media Images: Hepatitis B. Animation: Hepatitis B Around the World. Field Stories and Blogs. CDC helps countries identify children infected with hepatitis B virus and generate the evidence for hepatitis B vaccine birth dose introduction Controlling Hepatitis B.

Thinking Outside the Box. Eliminate Hepatitis. Additional Resources Recent Publications: Hepatitis B surface antigen seroprevalence among children in the Philippines external icon. PMID: www. LeFevre ML; U. Preventive Services Task Force. Screening for hepatitis B virus infection in nonpregnant adolescents and adults: U. Preventive Services Task Force recommendation statement.

Ann Intern Med. PMID www. Pawlotsky J-M. Chronic viral and autoimmune hepatitis. Goldman-Cecil Medicine.