Research shows that the vaccination of food managers can control the spread of hepatitis A
A new study shows that vaccination of food managers is an effective way to reduce the spread of hepatitis A.
The study, published in the journal Boundaries,, Said hepatitis has a pathogen of important food origin. Researchers have analyzed 32 studies reporting HAV (hepatitis A virus virus) linked to food managers to assess whether vaccination could be an effective preventive strategy.
Most epidemics have occurred in North America and Europe, index cases are almost exclusively identified in food workers. The size of epidemics varied, although the majority involved less than 50 experienced patients. The number of patients in epidemics was probably higher because some people do not look for medical treatment and others are not specifically tested for hepatitis A infection. Symptoms of hepatitis A may not appear before 50 days after infection and can last up to six weeks.
“The integration of high transmissibility of HAV and the difficulty of detection in a timely time, targeted vaccination of food managers – in particular those of high -risk or seasonal environments – presents itself as a promising method of management of biological risks in the food industries.
In developed countries, most adults are sensitive to HAV infection due to limited vaccination rate. A number of epidemics have been associated with contaminated foods. This is probably partially influenced by increasing global imports of food.
The hepatitis A virus is mainly transmitted by the ingestion of food or water contaminated by microscopic quantities of feces of an infected individual, or by direct contact with an infected person. Even minimum quantities are sufficient to cause an infection. This high transmission potential is due in part to the environmental stability of the virus. The virus can remain infectious in water, soil, on contaminated surfaces, in the hands of food and food managers.
“Its persistence is further enhanced at low temperatures, which allows it to survive for extended period in various food matrices, included leafy greens, carrots, fennel, green onions, spinach, berries, aromatic herbs ,, and shellfish. Frozen Berries and Remain Infectious On Surfaces Depending On Temperature and humidity conditions.
Food managers play a crucial role in prevention of the transmission of HAV. If they are infected, they can transmit the virus through the food they prepare and have been identified as a major source of hepatitis of food. A single infected food manager can transmit the virus to hundreds of individuals during harvesting, handling, preparation or distribution of food. It has been shown that this has a significant impact on public health and health costs.
The transmission of food managers is not only a problem in restaurants. Throughout the food production chain, agricultural products are under several stages of handling, increasing the risk of cross contamination by infected workers or contaminated surfaces.
According to the research report. Food workers’ vaccination is the only method to ensure that they do not infect others with the virus.
However, food safety strategies have generally prioritized environmental hygiene and sanitation in relation to direct preventive measures such as vaccination. Currently, compulsory HAV vaccination for food managers is only applied in a few countries, such as Germany, while in most others, it remains voluntary or simply recommended.
“It should be noted that the current social climate leads many people to find temporary or even seasonal jobs in food services, thus exponing the pool of people exponentially who should undergo vaccination by HAV and make surveillance practically impossible.
“From the point of view of owners of individual food activities, the direct economic benefits of the vaccination of their employees, although not immediately apparent – in particular in regions with a low incidence of HAV – could be considered both to prevent commercial disturbances resulting from infectious episodes and to comply with the main regulations on food security.”
According to researchers, HAV vaccination can be an effective tool to prevent epidemics. Consequently, they say, the participation of the employer and employees in vaccination within the food industry should be encouraged by incentives or public subsidies.
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