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National Public Health Service for Wales
Press release on hepatitis A case
PRESS RELEASE
(Jointly issued by the National Public Health Service for Wales, Merthyr Tydfil Local
Health Board and Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council)
Vaccinations offered to close contacts of hepatitis A
case in Merthyr Tydfil
Vaccination against hepatitis A is being offered to people who have been in close contact with
a woman diagnosed with the infection in Merthyr Tydfil.
People attending the Sandbrook Day Centre or Llysfaen Respite Centre and the staff working
at both are being offered vaccination by the Merthyr Tydfil occupational health unit.
The woman with hepatitis A was diagnosed on Tuesday 30 January. It was acquired abroad.
She is now at home recovering from the illness.
Dr Gwen Lowe, consultant in communicable disease control with the National Public Health
Service for Wales, said, “There are currently no signs of further cases of the infection and the
risk of transmission is very small. However, after a detailed assessment and taking expert
advice, we have decided to recommend hepatitis A vaccine for people who have attended the
Sandbrook Day Centre and Llysfaen Respite Centre as a precautionary measure.”
Hepatitis A is rare in Wales. Symptoms only become apparent after an incubation period of
two to six weeks.
Symptoms of the infection are those associated with flu – tiredness, general aches and pains,
headaches and fever, a loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea, jaundice and
abdominal pain.
Hepatitis A is a liver disease caused by the hepatitis A virus. It is found in the faeces of
infected people and is passed from person to person by eating food or drinking water
contaminated with the virus.
An acute infection, hepatitis A does not have lasting effects. Maintaining hygiene levels is the
easiest way to prevent infection. However a vaccination is advisable when visiting certain
countries.
Version: 1
Author: Chris Lines
Date: 2 February
2007
Page: 1 of 3
Status: Approved for publication
National Public Health Service for Wales
Press release on hepatitis A case
The 100 people at a low risk of contracting the infection are being contacted with an
explanation of the circumstances, advice on the symptoms and to offer vaccination. While the
vaccine cannot cure anyone who has already contracted the infection, it will prevent any
additional cases.
Ends
Editor’s notes

For more information about hepatitis A please visit www.nphs.wales.nhs.uk

Questions and Answers about Hepatitis A
What is hepatitis A
Hepatitis A is an infection of the liver caused by the hepatitis A virus (HAV). The virus is
excreted in the faeces of infected people. Hepatitis A can be passed on to other people when
something contaminated with infected faeces (e.g. food or water) is put in the mouth (faecaloral transmission). Person-to-person spread is also common.
Who gets it and how serious is it?
Anyone can get hepatitis A and community-wide outbreaks do occasionally occur. A large
proportion of people who become infected contract the virus when abroad.
Symptoms do not occur in all people infected and are more likely to occur in adults than in
children. The older a person is, the more severe the infection and symptoms are likely to be.
Hepatitis A is rarely fatal in younger people. However, in people aged over 50, the illness can
be more severe and can result in death in nearly 2% of cases.
Unlike infections with other hepatitis viruses, there is little likelihood of hepatitis A infection
causing long-term liver damage and it does not lead to long-term chronic infection. Having
had the infection confers life-long immunity against getting hepatitis A a second time.
What is the treatment
Anyone with hepatitis A needs to be seen and assessed by a doctor. There is no specific
treatment. Alcohol should be avoided.
In some cases, hospital admission takes place for supportive treatment such as intravenous
fluids, medication for pain and itching and general nutritional support.
How common is it?
In the UK, hepatitis A was a common childhood infection in the early 20th century but
improved standards of living and hygiene have led to a marked fall in the incidence of
hepatitis A infection.
Version: 1
Author: Chris Lines
Date: 2 February
2007
Page: 2 of 3
Status: Approved for publication
National Public Health Service for Wales
Press release on hepatitis A case
Incidence has been low since it last peaked in 1990 when 7,545 hepatitis A cases were
reported for England and Wales. There were 669 reports in 2004 with 22 reported for Wales.
Hepatitis A is more common in some other countries where sanitation and sewage disposal
can be poor (particularly Africa, northern and southern Asia, Central America and southern
and eastern Europe).
How is it prevented?
Infection with hepatitis A virus can be prevented by attention to personal hygiene, especially
hand washing, and consuming safe drinking water and food.
The most common mode of infection for travellers is through eating contaminated food, or
drinking contaminated water. Following simple guidelines on food and water hygiene and by
ensuring good personal hygiene can reduce the risk of contracting the virus.
There is a vaccine available to prevent hepatitis A infection which should be considered by all
individuals who activities may put them at particular risk from hepatitis A infection.
What is being done to minimise the impact of hepatitis A in Wales
One important role of the NPHS is the collection and interpretation of data about the levels of
infectious disease in the Welsh population. Key infections, including hepatitis A, are under
constant surveillance, to detect significant trends, to evaluate prevention and control measures
and to alert appropriate professionals and organisations to infectious disease threats.
A major method of controlling Hepatitis A is by ensuring that those at increased risk of
developing the disease are immunised against it. The NPHS contribute to this through the
work of the Vaccine Preventable Disease Programme and 22 Local Health Protection
Teams. These support the Welsh Assembly Government in setting a strategic direction for
immunisation services, support LHBs in managing local services and achieving targets, and
support General Practice and Trusts delivering services.
In addition NPHS identify and follow up local cases and outbreaks of hepatitis A to prevent
spread of the disease amongst vulnerable people.

The National Public Health Service for Wales provides the resources, information
and advice to enable the Welsh Assembly Government, Health Commission Wales,
Local Health Boards, Local Authorities and NHS Trusts to discharge their statutory
public health functions. To do this, the NPHS delivers a full range of public health
services, seeking to:

Improve the health and wellbeing of the people of Wales and reduce inequalities
in health;

Protect against existing, new and emerging diseases and health threats; and

Contribute to improvement in health and social care services.
Version: 1
Author: Chris Lines
Date: 2 February
2007
Page: 3 of 3
Status: Approved for publication