Form test - Test area - Public Health Scotland

Question 1: Did the food handler close contact receive hepatitis A vaccine within 14 days or less from exposure?

Yes

Yes, they received the hepatitis A vaccine within 14 days or less from exposure.

No further action is required.

If they did not receive the hepatitis A vaccine within 14 days of exposure, find out if the close contact is considered 'immune'.

Close contacts are considered immune to hepatitis A infection if they have any of the following.

A reliable history or evidence of a complete course of hepatitis A vaccine in the past 10 years (for example, two monovalent doses or equivalent).
A reliable history or evidence of one dose of monovalent vaccine (or equivalent) within the past 12 months.
A reliable history of hepatitis A infection or previous laboratory-confirmed hepatitis A (previous anti-HAV IgG positive, or HAV RNA positive).

Go to question 2.

Question 2: Is the close contact considered immune to hepatitis A infection?

Yes

No additional action is required as the contact is immune.

The close contact is considered 'non-immune' to hepatitis A infection.

Find out if the contact is at higher risk of infection due to their interaction with the index case.

The contact is at higher risk of infection if the:

index case is a child less aged 5 years old or younger
index case regularly cooked for the contact
index case had poor personal hygiene or diarrhoea
contact had sex with index case

Go to question 3.

Question 3: Is the contact at higher risk of infection?

Yes

Find out if the contact prepares or handles ready-to-eat-food which will not have a further cooking step.

Go to question 4.

Reinforce hygiene within the workplace.

Question 4: Does the contact prepare or handle ready-to-eat-food which will not have a further cooking step?

Yes

Reinforce hygiene within the workplace.

Transfer contact to duties which do not involve preparing or handling ready-to-eat-food (which will not have a further cooking step) until 30 days post-exposure.

Exclusion should only be considered if effective hygiene cannot be achieved.

Reinforce hygiene within the workplace.