Since the beginning of the year, almost 3 people have contracted hepatitis A, i.e. food jaundice. This is an increase of over 100%. It is the Silesia Province, where XNUMX new cases have been reported, that is fighting the disease. Is there anything to be afraid of?
The increase in the incidence in the Śląskie Voivodeship was recorded already in October. Two hundred people developed hepatitis A then. However, this number is growing. To date, more than four hundred cases have been registered. This is much more than in previous years. In 2015, seven people fell ill in the Śląskie Voivodeship. Only three cases have been reported last year.
This year, there may be more cases, because the source of the germs, which have already attacked over four hundred people, has not been established yet.
Forgotten diseases come back?
Food jaundice is one of those diseases that are making themselves felt again. For nearly twenty years, when we practically forgot about the disease. Some of us have never had it, and thus have not developed resilience. You can protect yourself against it by vaccination, but it is not obligatory. I usually do people who travel to countries where the risk of developing the disease is much higher than in Poland.
– In fact, for some time we have been observing an increase in the incidence of hepatitis A across the country. It is worth noting that the virus can be caught not only by not following basic hygiene rules, or by drinking contaminated water or eating poorly prepared food. Infection can also occur during sexual contact, which is why it is so important to use appropriate protection – says Jan Bodnar, spokesman of the Chief Sanitary Inspectorate, in an interview with Medonet.
From the beginning of this year to the end of November, over two thousand six hundred cases of hepatitis A, commonly known as food jaundice or dirty hands disease, have been registered across the country.
How not to get sick?
What to do to avoid getting sick? First of all, the routes of infection should be avoided. Control and check what we eat and drink (preferably when we eat food that has previously been thermally processed, e.g. fried or baked, and we drink bottled water – especially abroad). Do not allow insects to come into contact with food and – most importantly – follow the basic rules of hygiene. Washing your hands before eating and after leaving the toilet is an absolute must.