Hepatitis A, also known as infectious hepatitis or epidemic jaundice, is caused by an RNA virus which infects the liver of its host.
Humans are the principal reservoir of the virus.
While Hepatitis A outbreaks are not common in Canada, the rate of infection among First Nations people and Inuit tends to be significantly higher than the Canadian average. Poor housing, poor water supplies and sewage treatment are believed to be major factors in the periodic outbreaks. The Directorate funded a pilot project in British Columbia that targeted 53 communities determined to be most at risk. In the pilot project, selective immunizations and improvements in local water supply and sewage treatment are used to prevent Hepatitis A outbreaks. If successful, the program may serve as a model for efforts to reduce the incidence of the disease across the country.