Patient information and directions. Communicable Disease Prevention leaflet issued by the Swedish Society for Communicable Disease Prevention and Control.
What is hepatitis A (epidemic jaundice)?
You are infected, or are suspected of being infected, with the hepatitis A virus, which causes inflammation of the liver and usually jaundice. As a rule, the infection clears up without treatment and does not normally cause permanent harm. You are, however, contagious from two weeks prior to falling ill to one week afterwards.
How do you get infected?
The hepatitis A virus is found in the faeces of the infected person and usually spreads through contaminated food and water. The infection can also spread directly from one person to another. Most people contract the infection abroad, however. Someone who has had hepatitis A once has lifelong immunity to the disease.
Advice and directions to prevent the spread of infection
To prevent others from being infected, you should follow the simple hygiene advice in the disease control leaflet “Hygiene advice in intestinal infection” (Hygienråd vid tarmsmitta). You must follow the directions below.
Mandatory directions:
A contagious child is not to go to preschool or school.
If you work with food, you are obliged to tell your employer about the infection under the Food Act (Livsmedelslagen).
You may not, in a professional capacity, prepare or handle unpackaged foods or care for infants or patients with reduced immune defences until you have been declared infection-free.
You must attend the appointments and tests that your doctor thinks are necessary.
The disease with which you are infected is a hazard to public health under the Swedish Communicable Diseases Act (Smittskyddslagen). You are therefore obliged to follow the directions given by your doctor. If you request, the County Medical Officer must reconsider the directions. The address of the County Medical Officer (smittskyddsläkaren) in your county council (landsting) is:
The address is also in the phone book.