Parker Jo-Anne, Kurien Thomas T, Huppatz Clare
Senior Public Health Nurse, Western Australian Country Health Service, Kalgoorlie, Western Australia.
Senior Medical Officer, Western Australian Country Health Service, Kalgoorlie, Western Australia.
Commun Dis Intell Q Rep. 2014 Mar 31;38(1):E26-8. doi: 10.33321/cdi.2014.38.7.
Hepatitis A is caused by the hepatitis A virus (HAV), with transmission occurring through the faecal-oral route. In May 2013, a case of hepatitis A infection was reported to a Western Australian regional public health unit, with infection acquired in Fiji. Following this, 2 further cases were linked to the index case by kava drinking and 1 further case was a household contact of a secondary case. This outbreak highlights that the preparation of kava drink and/or the use of a common drinking vessel could be a vehicle for the transmission of HAV.
