Hepatitis A No raw food on vacation

Hepatitis A risk of infection: Do not eat raw food on holiday

28/06/2011

Gastroenterologists in Germany are currently warning against the enjoyment of raw food on holiday. In the Mediterranean area, hepatitis A could be transmitted through non-boiled food or drinking water.

If you are planning a holiday in the Mediterranean countries, you should refrain from eating raw food and uncooked water. According to the Robert Koch Institute in Berlin vacationers could threaten an infection with the viral hepatitis A disease. This also means avoiding ice cubes in cold drinks, because this too is considered a possible source of an infectious disease.

Hepatitis A can be transmitted through contaminated raw foods such as salads or only half-heated dishes such as mussels, seafood or shellfish. This is indicated by the Professional Association of Private Gastroenterologists in Germany (BNG) in Ulm. Contaminated drinking water is also considered a possible carrier of the infectious disease. Also be careful with cold drinks containing ice cubes. The cubes are mostly made from tap water. In addition, the water is not suitable for drinking water in many countries. The physicians emphasize that hepatitis A disease heals well in most cases. However, the disease can also take a heavy course.

According to analyzes by the Robert Koch Institute in Berlin, around half of all cases of hepatitis A registered in Germany are imported from abroad. If Germans stay abroad longer, the Standing Vaccination Commission advises against vaccination against hepatitis A and B at the institute.

Hepatitis A is a viral infectious disease. When infected, patients suffer from acute hepatitis. The disease never progresses chronically but mostly heals without serious complications. If you have been infected, nausea and vomiting, abdominal pain, fever, diarrhea, tiredness, rarely severe jaundice, dark urine and a light bowel movement occur after a good 25 to 30 days, if a possible bile blockage was added as a complication. There is no conventional medical therapy. Doctors recommend patient sparing. In naturopathy, liver-friendly medicinal plants are used. The most important medicinal plant here is called the artichoke. It has an antioxidant effect and stimulates the production and excretion of bile. The bile is an organ for detoxifying the liver. Moist warm liver wraps can improve the blood circulation of the liver and also help to detoxify the liver. (Sb)

Also read:
New therapy for hepatitis D
Hepatitis C: virus-free even without interferon
Hepatitis B warning for Turkey

Picture: Gerhard H.