What is Infectious Jaundice?

The disease, which is called “infectious jaundice” in the colloquial language or “viral hepatitis” in the medical language, occurs as a result of the settlement of microbes called “viruses” in the liver. Our liver is our most important organ that removes poisons and waste materials from our body, detoxifies, and performs more than 500 tasks, including the production of bile and many vital substances. This precious organ, which swells due to the inflammation caused by the jaundice microbes transmitted from person to person by different means, becomes clogged and inoperable. For this reason, many problems arise, such as weakening of our defense system, inability to produce the bile that it throws out poisons, and inability to digest it to a large extent, and our general structure may be damaged.

This disease is one of the most common contagious diseases in the world. Each of the jaundice disease, which is caused by different viruses and named alphabetically as "A, B, C, D, E, G type" in terms of the most common ones, is caused by a separate microbe and does not turn into each other. Apart from these, there are other microbes (such as Herpes, EBV, CMV) that cause infectious jaundice.

How are jaundice germs transmitted?

Some of the contagious jaundice germs are transmitted by mouth (through contaminated food and drink), and some are transmitted by other means. A and E types of viruses that cause jaundice are mostly transmitted to other people through direct contact with the faeces of sick people or eating food washed with contaminated water, drinking contaminated water or liquids, contaminated hands of patients and contaminated items (such as glasses, spoons, forks, towels). is found. B, C, D and G type jaundice germs can be transmitted from person to person through blood, from pregnant women who carry the microbe to their babies during birth, as well as through sexual intercourse. In addition to these, substances that can "contact with blood" play a very serious role in contamination. Care materials such as razors, razors, manicure-pedicure tools, toothbrushes; It can also be transmitted through instruments used in medical interventions and especially injectors. The stinging of needles, injectors, which are inserted into the body for examination or treatment purposes, to other people, especially healthcare workers, plays an important role in transmission. In this sense, dentistry practices in particular carry great risks.

Type C jaundice is mostly transmitted through blood. Type D jaundice is also generally transmitted through blood, and for this jaundice to occur, the person must have had type B jaundice before and remained a carrier, or the type B jaundice germ and the type D jaundice germ must have entered the body at the same time.

What are the symptoms of infectious jaundice?

After the jaundice microbes enter the body, they cause the disease after an incubation (preparation) period extending from 1 month to 6 months, depending on their types. Significant clinical findings such as significant yellowing of the eyes and skin, darkening of the urine color, and lightening of the stool color, which occur in patients with jaundice, can sometimes be very vague. In some of the patients, symptoms such as cold-flu-like complaints, head-muscle and joint pains, weakness, nausea-vomiting may occur, and the person may not think that they have jaundice. Some patients may experience jaundice without experiencing any symptoms. Most of the patients with type B jaundice, in particular, pass without realizing the disease and may continue to carry the disease in their bodies. It is revealed that the person carries the jaundice microbe during a blood test (when donating blood, having an examination for another reason, pre-operative examination, etc.).

The only way to find out if a person has had any of the contagious jaundices, and especially if they are a carrier of type B jaundice or jaundice type C, is to have a blood test.

Is it possible to be protected?

The most important way to prevent contagious jaundice is to strictly comply with the cleaning rules. Since the microbe of type A jaundice, which is the most common type of jaundice, which is transmitted by food, drink and water contaminated with faeces, is highly resistant to external environmental conditions, it is the basic rule of protection to strictly follow the cleaning rules and to take care of hand hygiene in every environment and under all conditions. The prerequisite for protection from type A and E jaundice; In addition to washing hands thoroughly after using the toilet, not consuming foods and beverages that cannot be trusted, and ensuring that raw vegetables and fruits are washed with clean water and with care.

At the beginning of the issues to be considered in the prevention of B and C type jaundice, first of all, other people's razors, razors, nail clippers, manicure-pedicure material, nose ring, etc. common use of materials. For this reason, it is imperative that the tools and equipment used when going to the barber, hairdresser or pedicure salon should be used privately, and that razors and similar cutting apparatus should be used and disposed of. In addition, tools that are likely to sting or puncture should be used after the slightest ingrown event, after they have been completely purified from germs. In addition, the old-style hemorrhage stopper called bloodstone should not be used in public and should belong to the person.

Applications such as piercing and tattooing, which have become very common lately, are the easiest ways to infect. In conditions where complete medical sterilization cannot be performed, it is inevitable that such applications will transmit jaundice.

Practices that are the source of blood-borne transmission between people are also among the ways of transmission of the HIV virus (AIDS disease). Monogamy and condom use are of great importance in preventing the spread of these diseases, which follow the same path especially in the mechanism of sexual transmission.

One of the most basic ways to prevent contagious jaundice is to be pre-vaccinated against the disease. Vaccines that provide immunity against type B and A jaundice are still available in our country. A person can get sick with different types of jaundice several times in his life. For example, if someone with type A jaundice encounters type B jaundice and is not vaccinated against this disease, they will also have type B jaundice. When any type of microbial jaundice is experienced, only immunity is gained against that type of jaundice, there is no protection from other jaundices. Similarly, when vaccinated, only the jaundice type of the vaccine is protected.

Considering the passage ways mentioned above for a mother-to-be with a jaundice microbe, what should be done for the baby to be born is very important. It is absolutely necessary to administer a specific serum and type B jaundice vaccine for type B jaundice within the first 6 -12 hours after birth to the newborn baby of a mother who is a carrier of jaundice. In this way, if your baby comes into contact with the jaundice germ during birth, it will be protected both for the moment and for the future. It should not be forgotten that other family members, especially the spouses of expectant mothers who learn that they are carriers, should have their examinations done for this disease and, if necessary, be vaccinated. In addition, it is okay for a mother who is a carrier of jaundice to breastfeed her baby.

If it is understood that the prospective spouses should have your tests done for B-type jaundice before marriage and it is understood that the B-type jaundice microbe has not been encountered yet, it would be appropriate to apply 3 doses of the vaccine.