The Public Hygiene Services of the USL Toscana nord ovest Company have reported a total of ten cases of hepatitis A registered in the areas of Pisa and Livorno. Based on the initial information collected, “an investigation is underway to ascertain the possible link of the cases to a common source, with particular attention to a possible cluster associated with a bathing establishment on the Pisa coast.”
“Ongoing investigations”
So states a note from the ASL. The health company’s structures are carrying out – it continues – “the necessary epidemiological investigations to reconstruct possible links between the cases and identify the possible common source of infection. At the moment, therefore, it is not possible to determine with certainty the origin of the contagion and the investigations are still ongoing.”
The conditions
Currently three people are hospitalized in the Infectious Diseases ward of the Livorno hospital, where they are being monitored and are in good condition. Other patients have been examined by healthcare workers and, as hospitalization was not necessary, they have been discharged and returned to their homes with the appropriate medical advice and prescriptions.
What we are talking about
Hepatitis A is a liver infection caused by the hepatitis A virus. It is mainly transmitted via the fecal-oral route, meaning when the virus present in the feces of an infected person is ingested, directly or indirectly, by another person. Contagion can occur through close contact with an infected person, especially under conditions of poor hand hygiene, or through the consumption of contaminated water or food. Among the foods most commonly associated with transmission are those eaten raw or undercooked and products that can be contaminated during handling.
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Symptoms generally appear after an incubation period of a few weeks and mainly include fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, fever, abdominal pain, and general malaise. Dark urine, lighter stools, and jaundice, which is a yellowish discoloration of the skin and the whites of the eyes, may also appear. In children, the infection may manifest with very mild or no obvious symptoms, while in adults it can have a more significant course.
Hepatitis A, unlike hepatitis B and C, does not become a chronic infection and in most cases resolves spontaneously. Treatment is mainly supportive and is determined by the doctor based on the person’s condition.
“The Public Hygiene Services of the USL Toscana nord ovest Company continue surveillance and epidemiological investigation activities, in collaboration with the involved health structures, to clarify the origin of the cases and adopt, if necessary, further prevention and control measures.”
