ABC's of Hepatitis A

Hepatitis A is a highly contagious viral disease that attacks the liver. It can cause jaundice (yellowing of the skin), body aches and pain, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, and leave you feeling physically weak for weeks - in some cases, even months! All in all, it's not fun.

Traveling first-class may guarantee greater accommodations and service, but it doesn't mean that your protected from disease.

The bathrooms may look more sanitary, and the restaurants may serve gourmet cuisine, but if you think staying at a four star hotel means that you are protected from hepatitis A, you're wrong. That's because everyday activities, such as using a restroom or diapering a baby, and forgetting to wash your hands afterwards can put you at risk. According to the World Health Organization, most cases of hepatitis A in travelers occur in those stick strictly to the middle - and - upper-level hotels and resorts.

The older you are, the worse you're going to feel if you get infected with hepatitis A.

The symptoms of hepatitis a are more severe in adults than in children. And, as is the case with most viruses, there is no specific treatment or cure once you get infected. The only thing you can do is get rest-and lots of it! Some folks are required to rest and take it easy for up to 6 weeks, and that can be pretty difficult to explain to your boss, coworkers and others who depend on you.

The best way to deal with diseases such as Hepatitis A is to prevent the disease.

In order to avoid getting hepatitis A and other illnesses that commonly affect travelers, you have to know how you can get infected in the first place.

Here is a list of some ways you can get sick :

• From eating food that is handled by someone who has not properly washed his or her hands and is infected with the Hepatitis A virus.

• From eating food that comes from contaminated water-shellfish, like muscles and clams-the types of foods many folks enjoy while on vacation.

• From eating food that is washed in contaminated water (this means that eating even a seemingly healthful salad can make you sick).

• You can even get Hepatitis A by unknowingly picking up the virus on your own hands (by shaking hands with someone who is infected, for example) and then transferring it to your mouth.

• Drinking contaminated water, or brushing your teeth with it, can put you at risk for illnesses other than Hepatitis A (don't forget that this also means avoiding ice in your beverages that you drink).