Announcement regarding a reported case of hepatitis A virus (HAV)
Dear All
Due to a confirmed case of hepatitis A virus (HAV) infecting a student at our Faculty, I would like to inform you that measures have been taken to ensure the safety of our community.
The Faculty will carry out (and is already carrying out) increased disinfection measures in common areas, in particular in toilets, staff rooms, on door handles, handrails and other frequently touched surfaces.
Please read the following information.
1. What is hepatitis A virus (HAV)?
HAV is mainly transmitted through food (faecal-oral route), most often through dirty hands or contaminated surfaces.
Symptoms may appear 2-6 weeks after infection, so it is important to monitor your health.
2. What symptoms may indicate infection?
Please pay particular attention to:
feeling very tired or weak,
fever, nausea, abdominal pain,
loss of appetite, dark urine,
light-coloured, discoloured stools,
yellowing of the skin or eyes.
3. What to do if symptoms occur?
If symptoms suggestive of HAV appear:
Do not come to class or work.
Contact your GP and inform them of possible contact with HAV.
Your doctor may order blood tests (aminotransferases, bilirubin, anti-HAV).
If you have symptoms, report this to the Head of Administration, Agata Ignatowicz-Bocian (a.bocian@uw.edu.pl), without providing medical details.
Follow the recommendations of the Sanitary and Epidemiological Station and your doctor.
4. Additional recommendations
Monitor your health for 6 weeks.
Pay particular attention to hand hygiene (wash for at least 20–30 seconds).
Consider consulting your doctor about post-exposure vaccination, which is effective for up to 14 days after contact.
If symptoms appear, follow point 3.
Wash your hands after using the toilet and before eating.
Avoid using shared dishes and cutlery without washing them first.
Use the disinfectants available on the Faculty premises.
Report any hygiene incidents (e.g. dirty toilets) to the reception staff.
5. Measures taken by the Faculty
In accordance with the recommendations of the Health and Safety Inspectorate, the disinfection of shared spaces at the Faculty has been intensified.
Soap, paper towels and disinfectants are constantly replenished (in toilets and at the porter’s lodge).
Increased sanitary supervision of frequently touched surfaces has been introduced.
We are working with the Sanitary and Epidemiological Station to implement all recommended measures.
Thank you for your caution and cooperation.
Stay healthy!
Agata Ignatowicz-Bocian, Head of Administration of the Faculty of History