HEPATITIS A

PREVENTION RELIES PRIMARILY ON

• Drinking safe water

• Prudent hygiene

• Avoiding uncooked shellfish, fruits and vegetables, ice in endemic areas.

IMMUNOGLOBULINS (0.02 ml/kg), a preparation of antibodies is recommended for short-term protection against hepatitis A and for persons who have already been exposed to HAV.
Immunoglobulins must be given within two weeks after exposure to HAV. They protect for approximately two months.

HEPATITIS A VACCINE which provides long-term protection for individuals older than two years of age.

Indication for Hepatitis A vaccination

• Persons who work in or travel to areas where hepatitis A is endemic (first dose should be given at least four weeks before travel)

• Homosexual men

• Persons who use street drugs

• Persons with chronic liver diseases, such as hepatitis B or C

• Children in certain high risk communities.

HEPATITIS B

PREVENTION RELIES PRIMARILY ON

• Screening of blood and blood products

• Use of disposable needles

• Adequate sterilization of surgical or dental instruments
• Use of precautions and barrier techniques (such as wearing of gloves, eye/face protection etc.)
• Education about the risks of using unsterilized material.

HEPATITIS B IMMUNE GLOBULINS(H-BIG) are administered for temporary passive protection from hepatitis B. Unvaccinated health care workers after a needle stick injury from a patient infected with HBV and sexual partners of individuals with acute hepatitis B should receive H-BIG and start the hepatitis B vaccination. Infants born from HBV infected mothers should also be treated with both H-BIG and vaccine.

HEPATITIS B VACCINE: there is a safe and effective vaccine for hepatitis B. In many countries the administration of hepatitis B vaccine is compulsory for newborns and for 12 year old children.

Indication for Hepatitis B vaccination

• health care and emergency personnel
• people with multiple sexual partners
• drug users
• hemodialysis patients
• sexual partners and household members of HBV carriers
• patients with chronic liver diseases

HEPATITIS C

There is currently no vaccine for HCV. The difficulty in developing a vaccine is due, particularly to the mutability of the virus. Moreover there is no effective short-term prevention such as immune globulin.
Recommendations on measures to prevent HCV infection include :

• Screening of blood and blood products
• Use of disposable needles
• Adequate sterilization of surgical or dental instruments
• Use of precautions and barrier techniques (such as wearing of gloves, eye/face protection etc.)
• Education about the risks of using unsterilized material

HEPATITIS D
There is no vaccine for HDV. Since HDV is dependent on HBV for replication the most important method for preventing HBV-HDV coinfection is immunization with hepatitis B vaccine. It is also necessary following profilactic recommendation for HBV infection.


HEPATITIS E
There is no vaccine or immune globulin available to prevent the trasmission of HEV. Prevention relies primarily on:

• Drinking safe water
• Prudent hygiene
• Avoiding uncooked shellfish, fruits and vegetables, ice in endemic areas.