The public health department has been alerted to a potential outbreak of hepatitis A after eight people who attended a wedding in Mexico have tested positive for the hepatitis A IgM. The public health nurse is now involved in contact tracing. The nurse is interviewing the infected individuals regarding contacts they were exposed to during the incubation of the disease. What is the most likely mode of transmission of the pathogen in this scenario?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The most likely mode of transmission of hepatitis A in this scenario is ingestion of non-cooked food contaminated by infectious food handlers. This is because hepatitis A is primarily transmitted through fecal-oral route, meaning that the virus is present in the feces of infected people and can be transmitted through contaminated food or water. Handling food without proper handwashing can contaminate the food with the virus. The fact that multiple people who attended the same wedding have tested positive for the virus suggests that they may have all consumed contaminated food or drink at the same event. Drinking water contaminated with hepatitis A is also a possible mode of transmission, but it is less likely in this scenario as the infected individuals all attended the same event and did not report drinking from a common source of water. Direct contact with respiratory droplets or mosquito bites are not known modes of transmission for hepatitis A.

The Public Health Department Has Been Alerted to a Potential