[TildyMay]

my caught a flu from a friend two weeks ago and I'm still sick. he went to the hospital a week ago because he found out that he has hepatitis A. I'm worried , can i know if i have it with a blood test? should i consider taking a blood test?
I caught a flu from a friend*
can i know if i have it without a blood test * sorry i wrote it quickly

[froggypjs]

Ask your doctor

[Ann M]

Yes. There is a simple test you can do.

[zigzag1773]

As every doctor knows, Hepatitis A is an acute viral disease of the liver. Hepatitis A virus (HAV) has supposedly been isolated: "a 27-NM RNA carnivorous (introverts) with only one stereotype..." --- American Academy of Pediatrics, Dec 1996

The infectious agent is passed from human to human either through 1) the oral - fecal route, waterborne, often from raw shellfish or dirty water or 2) blood and body secretions.

Hepatitis A is a mild, self limiting disease, resolving on its own with no treatment in 4-8 weeks. Most infections are sub clinical, meaning that most people who get the disease never even know it because they never manifest symptoms. (Merck Manual, p 377) The journal Pediatrics agrees: "Most HAV infections in young children are asymptomatic... Clinical hepatitis occurs in fewer than 10% of infected children."

This disease is so mild that 90%of kids who get hepatitis A never even know it. Even the National Institutes of Health states that: "Most people who have Hepatitis A get well on their own after a few weeks." - NIH Manual: What I Need To Know About Hepatitis A

Most cases of hepatitis A are found in Third World areas, outside the US. The question pops up: then why are we the only country in the world who recommends the vaccine on a mass scale? That billion dollars hanging in the balance wouldn't be in the equation, now would it?

Diagnosis of hepatitis A is supposedly by IgM antibody. But more often, diagnosis is by symptoms alone.

Symptoms Of Hepatitis A according to Merck Manual, the chief symptoms of hepatitis A are:

? loss of appetite
? NVD
? hives
? joint pain
? dark urine

Hardly life-threatening situations. Jaundice may also occur, but it usually indicates the beginning of recovery. By the time these symptoms appear, the disease is no longer infectious.

Type A hepatitis disappears completely after acute infection, and does not contribute to chronic liver disease or to cirrhosis. It is important to note that after the patient recovers, he has lifetime immunity. True immunity. Something you DO NOT GET, WILL NOT GET, from any vaccine! ! !

Bottom line here is that Hepatitis A is not common in most of the United States and is a mild inconsequential disease that can be better prevented by good hygiene, better sanitation, etc. The vaccine would not help the people in Liberia as much as cleaning up the sanitation and personal hygiene would, just like it does in America. The only thing the vaccine would do for anyone would be to put more money in the hands of greedy drug companies.

Drug companies are at it again on this one. GlaxoSmithKline finally got their new vaccine for Hepatitis A tacked onto the mandated schedule as of Jan 2002, with no public fanfare. (WNW.aap.org)

The vaccine is called Havrix, and is delineated on p.1544 of the 2002 Physicians Desk Reference, which incidentally was printed much earlier last year. Merck also has a hepatitis A vaccine - Vaqta.

The CDC's mandated schedule is the brass ring that all vaccine manufacturers are going for - approval of a vaccine can mean annual revenues of $1 billion or more, which is about what Merck pulls in for their current Hepatitis B vaccine.

Hepatitis A vaccine appears in a brand new category on the mandated schedule called the 'high risk' category. Since getting this disease is NOT life threatening, gives you life long immunity to it, and is cleared by the body within 6 to 8 weeks, why would ANYONE want to get a vaccine that only gives temporary immunity and creates health risks, damages the body's immune system, and many people never know they got it because the symptoms are so mild, and putting poisons into your bloodstream? To put money into drug companies hands? Do you really think they need that?

good luck to you

[Attorney]

hepatitis A does not cause flu symptoms. But to answer your question you need one blood test called: hepatitis A IgM antibody (also called HAV IgM). If this is positive then you have it. If it is negative, then you do not have it.