Hepatitis A infection: public health management and the role of the primary care nurse
Intended for healthcare professionals
Evidence and practice    

Hepatitis A infection: public health management and the role of the primary care nurse

Jane de Burgh Senior Health Protection Practitioner, South London Health Protection Team, Public Health England, London, England

Why you should read this article:
  • To gain knowledge of the prevalence, epidemiology and prevention of hepatitis A

  • To understand the risk factors for transmission and treatment of hepatitis A

  • To know who to contact and what action to take in a suspected case

Hepatitis A is a viral infection that affects the liver, with debilitating symptoms and jaundice. It is primarily transmitted through contaminated food and water. Infections such as hepatitis A require prompt public health action to identify a source and put in place measures such as immunisation to mitigate infection or prevent transmission. The practice nurse facilitates these processes, offers health promotion advice and assists with contact tracing and immunisations where necessary. This article is one of a series describing the joint working between the local Public Health England Health Protection Team and primary care in preventing the spread of infectious disease, referencing Public Health England guidance.

Primary Health Care. doi: 10.7748/phc.2020.e1669

Peer review

This article has been subject to external double-blind peer review and has been checked for plagiarism using automated software

Correspondence

jane.deburgh@phe.gov.uk

Conflict of interest

None declared

de Burgh J (2020) Hepatitis A infection: public health management and the role of the primary care nurse. Primary Health Care. doi: 10.7748/phc.2020.e1669

Published online: 01 July 2020

Want to read more?

RCNi-Plus
Already have access? Log in

or

3-month trial offer for £5.25/month

Subscribe today and save 50% on your first three months
RCNi Plus users have full access to the following benefits:
  • Unlimited access to all 10 RCNi Journals
  • RCNi Learning featuring over 175 modules to easily earn CPD time
  • NMC-compliant RCNi Revalidation Portfolio to stay on track with your progress
  • Personalised newsletters tailored to your interests
  • A customisable dashboard with over 200 topics
Subscribe

Alternatively, you can purchase access to this article for the next seven days. Buy now


Are you a student? Our student subscription has content especially for you.
Find out more