Hepatitis A

Hepatitis A IgG/IgM combo is tested from serum. Also known as Anti-HAV IgG IgM.
It is a screening for hepatitis A virus antibodies. The test can also be performed to determine the titer after vaccination (positive or negative result). If so, please mention "titer after vaccination" in the comments section.

In the case of infectious diseases that require notification, we are obliged to report a positive result to your local GGD(more information).

About Hepatitis A

Hepatitis A can be so mild that it goes unnoticed. Symptoms generally include fatigue, mild fever, sometimes pain in the upper abdomen and nausea.
Children usually have no symptoms of the disease; symptoms occur in only 30% of children under 6 years of age.
In adults, hepatitis A causes symptoms in more than 70% of cases, such as:

• yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes (jaundice)
• the darkening of urine
• the decolourisation of stools
• Abdominal discomfort
• Nausea
• Fever
• Fatigue

Usually, symptoms develop two to six weeks after infection. One or more of the symptoms may already indicate an infection with hepatitis A. The disease symptoms can often persist for several months.

Hepatitis A is caused by the hepatitis A virus. Hepatitis A almost never leads to a chronic infection. When a person has become infected with the hepatitis A virus, it takes an average of 30 days for the person to become ill, but in the latter part of the incubation period he or she is already contagious.

Within three months, 85% of patients are cured. Mortality from acute hepatitis A is rare.

Hepatitis A is a highly contagious inflammation of the liver caused by a virus. Hepatitis A can be contracted through sex, but also through poor hygiene. You can prevent infection with two vaccinations. There is no cure for hepatitis A. An infection needs to be treated. Currently, hepatitis A is very common among men who have sex with men. In Europe there are already more than 1,000 known cases and now the virus is also increasingly found in Dutch men.

Hepatitis A is transmitted through food or water contaminated with feces. In tropical destinations you can contract hepatitis A through contact with contaminated water. The virus is also transmitted through anal sex. You can also get hepatitis A through a towel or faucet that has come in contact with feces.

There is currently an outbreak of hepatitis A among gay men in Europe. To help prevent hepatitis A from spreading further, you can do the following:

• Wash your hands with soap and water after going to the toilet and before eating/cooking
• Wash your hands with soap and water before and after sex (or take a shower)
• Do not share sex toys
• Use condoms or latex gloves.

Vaccination against hepatitis A is also a way to prevent infection. Two shots will usually give you lifelong protection, but the first shot will protect you immediately. Vaccination against hepatitis A is not free. However, your health insurance will sometimes reimburse a portion of the amount. The costs differ per location.

In addition to vaccines that only protect against hepatitis A, there is a special vaccine that protects against both hepatitis A and hepatitis B. Ask about this when you go to the GGD for your free hepatitis B vaccination. You will then only pay the extra costs for the hepatitis A vaccination.