Public Health Alert – Hepatitis A

Sunshine Coast Hospital and Health Service Public Health Unit are managing a confirmed case of Hepatitis A in a person who resides in Gympie and works at the Gympie Returned and Services League of Australia (RSL).

The Sunshine Coast Public Health Unit are working closely with the RSL management and contacting all known persons exposed to the case whilst potentially infectious and who are at high risk of developing Hepatitis A. We encourage those who have been to the Gympie RSL since July 2023 to monitor their own and their family’s health and to present to their General Practitioner for testing if you experience symptoms of Hepatitis A.

Hepatitis A is an acute viral infection, which can be spread from person to person by the faecal-oral route (the faeces of an infectious person have contaminated something that is put into someone else’s mouth). The symptoms of Hepatitis A are fever, gastro, generalised aches and pains, nausea, lack of appetite, and abdominal discomfort. Dark urine is usually the first specific sign of acute Hepatitis A, followed a day or two later by jaundice (yellow skin and eyes) and pale-coloured bowel motions.

The time between when a person is exposed to the virus to when they may develop symptoms averages 4 weeks, with a range of 2 – 7 weeks.

The best ways to prevent the spread of Hepatitis A is:

• Good hygiene and high handwashing standards.
• Not presenting to work or childcare whilst sick
• Being vaccinated against Hepatitis A.

If you or your child develops any symptoms of Hepatitis A, please go to your General Practitioner or Gympie Emergency Department.

For further information, please go to the Queensland Health website Hepatitis A page.