English: Geographic distribution of Hepatitis A prevalence (Anti-HAV-Antibody), 2005
High : prevalence higher than 8%
Intermediate : between 2% and 7%
Low : less than 2%
Deutsch: Weltweite Prävalenz der Hepatitis A (anhand der Anti-HAV-Antikörper), 2005
Hoch : Prävalenz höher als 8%
Mittel : zwischen 2% und 7%
Niedrig : weniger als 2%
Français : Répartition géographique de l'hépatite A, 2005
Haute : prévalence supérieure à 8%
Moyenne : entre 2% et 7%
Basse : inférieure à 2%
This is a map of the prevalence of Hepatitis A in the world. The highest rates are in maroon.
As you can see Hepatitis A has mostly been eradicated in all 1st world countries, they are colored grey.
Hepatitis A is an acute infectious disease of the liver that is usually spread by the fecal oral route; transmitted person to person by ingestion of contaminated food or water or through direct contact with a person infected. (Restaurant workers that do not wash their hands well after going to the bathroom).
In a lot of developing countries with poor sanitation its most prevalent- i.e poo bins
Makes you wonder why Brazil still does not have adequate plumbing in public restrooms to ensure peoples disgusting bodily fluids and fecal matter get flushed down the toilet. They have trash receptacles that you put your soiled tissue into. You could call them shit bins. I wonder which parts of the country are still doing this so I can up my daily dose of xanax medication when I get there. I know Rio does. So hypothetically if you go to the bathroom then wipe yourself (especially if you have been drinking) and drop a tissue in the bin and your hand accidentally scrapes up against another person's toilet tissue that has contaminated fecal matter on it? And lets assume that you are smart enough to REALLY REALLY wash your hands. Not just wet and go. I mean a good down-home LATHER, I mean get the clorox bleach out. And lets assume that it (the shit) may not all get washed off or that you missed a spot its not an exact science after all. Then if you eat afterward or somehow your hand comes in contact with your mouth you could possibly get Hep A. And lets face it some people don't even wash their hands. Come to think of it this would be a good anti drinking and anti restaurant ad. The "NO drinking" for the part where your out having a few drinks and you catch a nice buzz and all your worries are drifting away with the nice cool Brazilian breeze and your swaying side to side as your making your way to the next bar when you realize shit! I need to take a p*ss and you make your way to one of the many public bathrooms in Brazil. You can hardly see straight and the toilet looks like its moving in front of you, but somehow your not going to touch the huge pile of white fluffy tissue that is teetering on a mound of more white tissue all covered in someone's SHIT............ well you get my drift. I mean looking at that map and the numbers what do you think the percentages are for restaurant workers who make and deliver your food having Hep A? Pretty good right? So to be safe you should probably assume everyone has it. That's not too relaxing when your out spending you hard earned money on some Brazilian shindig at your local restaurant. Soon you'll be missing "The Outback" back in the States and biting your tongue. Also think about young children who don't yet understand good hygiene habits. I would not let them go the bathroom anywhere public where this goes on. I'll let you imagination run wild from here if your not ready to hurl your lunch in a the nearest toilet.
Vigilance is key here!
Side note --These stats are from 2005 and there are some regions of Brazil where the rate will be higher and some regions where the rate will be lower. And obviously not everyone has Hepatitis A.
