Several cases of hepatitis A have recently been reported in children and adults linked to adoptees from Ethiopia. Hepatitis A is a liver disease caused by the hepatitis A virus. Most children under the age of 6 years do not get sick from the infection, but can spread it to older children and adults, who often become ill.

Recommendations

• Travelers, including adoptive parents and any accompanying family members, who pick up the child should visit a health-care provider or travel medicine specialist as soon as travel is considered to ensure that their routine vaccinations are up to date and to obtain pre-travel advice tailored to their own medical history and the country they will visit.
• To prevent hepatitis A virus infections, CDC recommends that travelers to areas with intermediate and high rates of hepatitis A (see map), including Ethiopia, receive hepatitis A vaccine prior to travel.
• Other household members and caregivers of children adopted from Ethiopia, should consider being vaccinated before adopted children are brought to the U.S.
• Post-arrival of adopted children: Adopted children, household members, caregivers, or other persons experiencing symptoms of hepatitis A should be evaluated by a health-care provider. Persons exposed to hepatitis A who have not been previously immunized should contact their health-care provider or local health department to determine if they should receive an immunization or immunoglobulin to help prevent illness. More information about hepatitis A is available at: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/hepatitis/.

More Information

The hepatitis A virus is found in the stool (feces) of persons with hepatitis A. It is usually spread from person to person by putting something in the mouth that has been contaminated with stool. Frequent handwashing with soap and water, particularly after using the bathroom, changing a diaper, and before preparing or eating food, is very important in preventing the spread of hepatitis A.

Symptoms usually occur abruptly and include fatigue, abdominal pain, loss of appetite, nausea, jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes), and diarrhea. Jaundice is common in adults but rare in children. Older persons and persons with chronic liver disease can have more serious illness. The overall mortality rate among reported cases of hepatitis A is 0.3%, but it is 1.8% among persons >50 years. Symptoms generally last up to 2 months; there is no chronic (long-term) form of the disease.

For more information on preparation for international adoptions see International Adoptions in CDC Health Information for International Travel 2008 –Adoptive parents and accompanying family members who travel overseas to pick up their child and other household members and caregivers of the adoptee should visit a health care provider or travel medicine specialist to ensure that appropriate vaccinations are up to date.

CDC’s Viral Hepatitis website – information about hepatitis A

Other Travelers’ Health information for your destination.