What to do if you eat poison berries? Pharmacist reveals hepatitis A lazy tip: See a doctor immediately if you encounter 6 symptoms
Recently, mixed berries and blueberries imported from well-known foreign chain stores have tested positive for “hepatitis A virus” after random inspections, making many people worried. If you have eaten berry products, how can you prevent hepatitis A from developing? If relatives and friends around me have eaten it, will I be at risk of infection? Smiling pharmacist Liao Weicheng listed 7 common questions to help people solve their doubts.
The poison berry incident continues to spread! Have you been avoiding raw food lately?
Pharmacist Liao Weicheng pointed out that hepatitis A virus is mainly transmitted through the “fecal-oral route” and is spread by consuming virus-contaminated water or food. After your hands come into contact with the feces of a carrier, if your hands are not thoroughly cleaned and then come into contact with food or mouth, indirect infection may also occur. In addition, the incubation period of hepatitis A virus is long, about 15-50 days from infection to onset, with an average of 28-30 days. Many infected people may not develop symptoms, but the virus is present in their feces and becomes a new source of infection.
Pharmacist Liao Weicheng recommends that you try to eat cooked food as much as possible in your recent diet, eat less frozen berries and raw food, and pay attention to personal hygiene. You should wash your hands before cooking, eating, and after using the toilet. If family members living together are infected with the hepatitis A virus, they should be disinfected. It is recommended to use 0.1-0.5% (1000-5000ppm) chlorine-containing bleach to disinfect the home environment. Leave it on for 30 minutes before wiping with clean water. It should be noted that the common bleach solution is 5%, which should be diluted 10-50 times with water before disinfecting the environment.
What are the symptoms of hepatitis A? Seek medical attention immediately if you have fever, loss of appetite, or jaundice
What are the symptoms of liver A? Pharmacist Liao Weicheng said that after infection in children under 6 years old, 70% have no symptoms or mild symptoms; after infection in older children or adults, about 70% will develop symptoms. The six major symptoms include fever, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, upper abdominal discomfort, and jaundice (yellowing of skin and eyes, dark urine). Being asymptomatic does not mean that there is no risk. If family members have recently eaten suspected contaminated products, it is recommended to perform personal hygiene and environmental disinfection during the 50-day incubation period.
Pharmacist Liao Weicheng emphasized that if you eat berry products with suspected problems, you should conduct “self-health monitoring” for 50 days from the day after the last consumption day and pay attention to your own health status. During the monitoring period, if suspected symptoms of acute viral hepatitis A such as fever, general fatigue, loss of appetite, vomiting, abdominal discomfort, jaundice, etc. occur, you should seek medical treatment as soon as possible and accurately inform the doctor of the relevant dietary history, so as to obtain timely and appropriate diagnosis and treatment. .
How serious is hepatitis A infection? How to get the hepatitis A vaccine?
Pharmacist Liao Weicheng said that most infected people can recover naturally, and only a few cases will develop “blast hepatitis”, but severe cases may still lead to death. The fatality rate of liver A is about three in 1,000, and it usually occurs in elderly patients or patients with chronic liver disease (such as patients with chronic hepatitis B and C). Taiwan Centers for Disease Control also recommends that people with chronic liver disease, liver cancer, or low immunity who are at high risk of severe liver A disease and have eaten this batch of berry products can seek medical evaluation and vaccination at their own expense within 2 weeks after the last consumption. Hepatitis A vaccine is necessary.
Pharmacist Liao Weicheng explained that because the hepatitis A vaccine is very safe and effective, it can provide long-term protection after completing 2 doses of the vaccine. The hepatitis A vaccine for young children has been included in Taiwan’s public vaccination program for children. Parents are asked to bring their children on time. Complete vaccination.
Will hepatitis A relapse after being infected? How is hepatitis A virus treated?
Pharmacist Liao Weicheng pointed out that the antibodies (anti-HAV IgG) produced after infection can last for life, thus providing lifelong resistance. Although hepatitis A does not cause chronic hepatitis, 10-15% of patients may have symptoms relapse within 6 months of acute onset; the most contagious time is the second half of the incubation period (that is, before clinical symptoms occur) 2-3 weeks), which will last until 7 days after the onset of jaundice. In patients without jaundice, it will be 7 days after the liver index AST and ALT rise to the highest peak. Most patients are no longer infectious one week after the onset of jaundice.
There is currently no specific drug for the treatment of hepatitis A virus. Supportive therapy is usually adopted, that is, symptomatic treatment. For example, if a patient has symptoms of nausea and vomiting, supportive treatment will be taken to reduce the symptoms, allow the patient to rest more, and improve immunity against the hepatitis A virus.
Finally, Pharmacist Liao Weicheng reminds the public that if you have a fever and are unwell, remember not to exceed the daily dosage of 4,000 mg of acetaminophen (8 tablets), or choose other antipyretics that are less hepatotoxic. Liver cells may be damaged during viral infection, but liver cells have the ability to regenerate and can usually recover within two months to half a year. After recovery, there is no need to take special hepatoprotective products to avoid increasing the burden on the liver.
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[What to do if you eat poison berries? Hepatitis a lazy guide] - Phar.Smile, a smiling pharmacist
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