Smileband General news

President Donald trump said Friday he will uphold a ban on importing trophies of elephants hunted and killed in Zimbabwe, pending further review, reversing his own administration's decision from just a day earlier after a public outcry.

'Put big game trophy decision on hold until such time as I review all conservation facts. Under study for years. Will update soon with Secretary Zinke. Thank you!' Trump tweeted.

Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke said the pair came to the decision after they 'talked and both believe that conservation and healthy herds are critical. Just hours before, Trump's spokeswoman Sarah Sanders had defended the US Fish and Wildlife Service's move to end the 2014 ban initiated under Trump's predecessor Barack Obama.

The service said Thursday that it would begin issuing permits to import 'sport-hunted trophies from elephants hunted in Zimbabwe' between January 21, 2016 and December 31, 2018.

Zambia would also have been covered under the revised rule.

The move was met with a barrage of criticism from animal rights groups and activists. It also came on the same day that the US State Department presented to Congress its first annual report on wildlife trafficking which, it said, 'remains a serious transnational crime.'

French screen legend and animal rights activist Brigitte Bardot added her voice to the growing chorus of criticism, slamming Trump as 'unfit for office' after his administration's 'shameful actions.'

'No despot in the world can take responsibility for killing off an age-old species that is part of the world heritage of humanity,' Bardot said in a letter to Trump, released through Fondation Brigitte Bardot. The move is 'a cruel decision backed by Zimbabwe's crazy dictator and it confirms the sick and deadly power you assert over the entire plant and animal kingdom,' the 83-year-old actress added.

'Your shameful actions confirm the rumors that you are unfit for office.'

According to the Great Elephant Census project, African Savanna elephant populations fell by 30 percent between 2007 and 2014, while Zimbabwe saw a drop of six percent.

Despite an overall fall in poaching, Africa's elephant population has declined in part because of continued illegal killing, said a report this year by CITES, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species.

African ivory, in particular, is highly sought in China where it is a status symbol.

A provision in the Endangered Species Act says the import of such trophies can be legal if accompanied by proof that the hunting benefits broader conservation of the species.

Trump's sons are known to have a passion for hunting.

In one widely shared photograph, Donald Trump Jr poses with a knife in one hand and an elephant tail in the other, the animal's corpse beside him. 

Smileband Health issues

 Hepatitis is a viral disease that affects the liver. There are at least six known kinds of hepatitis (hepatitises A, B, C, D, E and F). Hepatitis A, hepatitis B and Hepatitis C (which wasn't even identified until 1989) are relatively common in some places. Hepatitis D and hepatitis E are very rare. Hepatitis may be infectious or noninfectious. Six or seven virus are usually responsible for the infectious versions although other viruses, parasites, fungi may cause it.

 Hepatitis is debilitating disease that can last for months. It often creeps up slowly (between 15 to 50 days, usually around 25 days), peaks, sometimes with pronounced symptoms, and fades away slowly. leaving victims feeling weak and tired for a long time.

 Hepatitis A is contacted from contaminated water and hepatitis B is contacted from infected blood or bodily fluids. Both diseases can be very serious and debilitating and often include jaundice (yellowing of the skin and the whites of the eyes). Immunizations, consisting of a series of shots given over several weeks, are available for both diseases. If you are getting these shots for traveling make sure you get them well advance of your departure date.

 Hepatitis generally begins with mild symptoms that may or may not become severe. Hepatitis can go on a long time and cause considerable damage before people realize they have it. Early symptoms include a slight fever, achy joints, abdominal pain, lethargy and aversion to cigarette smoke. One telltale sign of hepatitis is urine that is deep orange in color regardless of how much liquid has been consumed (if you think you may have hepatitis drink a lot of water, if you urine is still really orange or yellow see a doctor).   Hepatitis E and F are rare and similar to hepatitis A but more deadly, particularly among pregnant women. They can be contacted from contaminated water and many people have no symptoms. There is no vaccine. Patients are advised to get lots of rest and drink lots of fluids.

 Hepatitis E is very rare in the United States and western Europe but does occur in epidemics in Asia, Africa and Mexico. Hepatitis F is still under investigation and is not universally regarded as a type of hepatitis. . Hepatitis G and Hepatitis TT are two other virus also being investigated. 

Smileband Health issues

Hepatitis E, sometimes called hep E or HEV, is a liver disease caused by the hepatitis E virus. A virus is a microscopic particle that needs to get inside living cells in order to reproduce (spread)6.

What is hepatitis?
Your liver responds to injury by becoming inflamed. Any inflammation of the liver is known as hepatitis7, whatever its cause. Sudden inflammation of the liver is known as acute hepatitis. Where inflammation of the liver lasts longer than six months, the condition is known as chronic hepatitis8.

Hepatitis can be caused by a number of things including:

• drinking too much alcohol (the most common cause of liver damage)
• a virus, such as hepatitis E or glandular fever
• the body’s own immune system – a liver disease called autoimmune hepatitis
• the side effects of some drugs and chemicals
• trauma/ injury to the body.

Inflammation is part of the process of repairing damaged tissue. In a similar way to a scab forming over a skin wound, a temporary fibrous ‘scaffold’ forms while liver cells regenerate9,10. If your liver is repeatedly injured, new liver cells cannot regenerate fast enough and the fibrous tissue remains as a scar10. This is called fibrosis and can take a variable amount of time to develop.

There are a number of viruses that infect the liver. The best known are hepatitis A, B, C, D and E. The ways in which they are transmitted (spread or passed on), how they cause liver damage and the effects they can have on your health are different. Of these viruses hepatitis B, C, D and E can cause chronic or long term disease.

Most people in the UK will not have heard of hepatitis E. Until very recently, it was thought to be a disease only found in developing countries. However, it is now accepted that the virus is also transmitted here11.

Hepatitis E is generally mild in its effect unless you have pre-existing liver disease or are pregnant12. Chronic infection (infection lasting over six months) caused by hepatitis E is very rare and usually only reported in patients with a suppressed immune system, for example in patients taking drugs to prevent rejection after an organ transplantation13.

There are four strains of hepatitis E called “genotypes.” Genotypes 1 and 2 are found in Asia and Africa; genotype 3 is found worldwide, including Europe and the UK; and genotype 4 is found in China and Japan14. In the UK, hepatitis E diagnosed in people who have travelled abroad is usually genotype 1, and in those who have not travelled it is genotype 3.

Among pregnant women there is a risk of the virus causing a severe and rapidly occurring form of hepatitis that can lead to liver failure. This is called fulminant hepatitis and can cause premature delivery and infant mortality in the third trimester15.Up to 25% of infected pregnant women can develop liver failure resulting in loss of life16to both mother and baby.
In patients with pre-existing liver disease the virus can also cause liver failure, which may be fatal17.

How is hepatitis E passed on?

The hepatitis E virus is spread in a way similar to hepatitis A, known as ‘faecal-oral’ transmission. This means that the virus is passed out in bowel motions (faeces) and finds its way into the mouth (orally), usually through contaminated food or water. This is one of the reasons why it is important to wash your hands after going to the toilet15. The illness does not usually spread easily within families, except when all members of the family have been drinking the same infected drinking water18 and/or contaminated food.

In European countries, such as the UK, the illness can also be caused by what is known as ‘zoonosis’. This means the virus can be found in animals such as pigs, wild boar, deer, rabbits and rats15. It does not cause the animals any illness, however, the virus can sometimes be passed from the animal to humans11,15. One way this can happen is by eating raw or undercooked meat16. In most cases the source and route of infection is unknown19.

Widespread outbreaks of the virus can occur frequently or constantly in overseas countries (referred to as ‘endemic areas’) where water supplies are contaminated with sewage after monsoons and flooding14.

Unlike hepatitis B, C or D, there is no evidence of the hepatitis E virus being transmitted through sharing needles, bodily fluids or through sexual contact20. However, there is a risk of transmission if there is mouth contact with the anal area21.

There have also been a number of cases reported where hepatitis E has been transmitted through blood transfusions and organ transplants22.

What are the symptoms of hepatitis E?

After the virus enters your body there may be no symptoms for a period of two to nine weeks. This is known as the incubation period23.

Symptoms of hepatitis E infection can include23:

• mild flu-like symptoms
• fatigue (extreme tiredness), this can continue for some time after clearing the virus
• change in urine colour – dark or brown
• abdominal pain
• jaundice
• fever (high temperature)
• loss of appetite
• itching
• nausea and vomiting (sickness)
• aching joints and muscles
• tingling, numbness and weakness in your arms and legs.

Smileband General news

Asteroid will DEFINITELY hit Earth and could wipe out London, expert warns

AN asteroid impact on Earth is “100 per cent” going to happen and experts are currently unsure they have the ability to protect us. As every day passes, the likelihood that an asteroid strikes Earth increases, according to experts.

Professor Alan Fitzsimmons, from Queen’s University Belfast’s Astrophysics Research Centre, says one will “100 per cent” strike Earth again, and London could be completely wiped out.

The last major incident occurred in 2013 when a 20 metre meteor exploded over Chelyabinsk, Russia, which smashed windows and caused injuries to more than 1,000 people.

Prior to that, in 1908, a small asteroid up to 190 metres in size exploded over Siberia’s Tunguska which ruined woodlands across 800 miles. In both instances, experts had no idea they were coming.

The Tunguska meteor was so big it would wipe out London completely.

Prof Fitzsimmons added that experts have detected roughly 90 per cent of asteroids that could strike Earth, but that there could be millions which could seep through and wreak havoc on our planet. Speaking ahead of Asteroid Day on June 30, he told Express.co.uk: “The dinosaur killer was so large and those guys are easy to spot half way across the solar system with the current generation of telescopes. 

“We know where those guys are, and we know they’re not coming anywhere near us in the near future. “But we may well still be taken by surprise by one of these smaller impacts such as Chelyabinsk or even Tunguska so we have to be prepared for that eventuality.

“I think time is on our side, we have made such great strides in our scientific understanding and the technology that we have at our disposal.

“But it is a random game at the moment, there could be one hitting tomorrow, there could even be one hitting on Asteroid Day, which would be slightly ironic.”

Although there are ways to protect Earth from asteroids, such as asteroid deflection systems where they can use rockets to knock them off their course, Prof Fitzsimmons says that no where near enough is being done. Even with the current protection methods, there is no way scientists can be entirely sure that they will be effective.

Prof Fitzsimmons continued: “We’ve never tried to move an asteroid and change its path around the sun. 

“And until we do that, there is a big question mark on our ability to protect people in the future. 

Smileband Health issues

1. Hepatitis D is a form of hepatitis, or liver infection. You can only get it if you already have hepatitis B.
2. Like hepatitis B, hepatitis D is transmitted through exposure to the bodily fluids of an infected person, such as their blood or semen. It’s possible to get both hepatitis B and hepatitis D at the same time.
3. Hepatitis D is rare in the United States. However, there’s no cure or vaccine for the virus.

Hepatitis D, also known as the delta virus, is an infection that causes the liver to become inflamed. This swelling can impair liver function and cause long-term liver problems, including liver scarring and cancer. The condition is caused by the hepatitis D virus (HDV). This virus is rare in the United States, but it’s fairly common in the following regions:

• South America
• West Africa
• Russia
• Pacific islands
• Central Asia
• the Mediterranean 

HDV is one of many forms of hepatitis. Other types include:

• hepatitis A, which is transmitted through direct contact with feces or indirect fecal contamination of food or water
• hepatitis B, which is spread through exposure to body fluids, including blood, urine, and semen
• hepatitis C, which is spread by exposure to contaminated blood or needles
• hepatitis E, which is a short-term and self-resolving version of hepatitis transmitted through indirect fecal contamination of food or water

Unlike the other forms, hepatitis D can’t be contracted on its own. It can only develop in people who are already infected with hepatitis B.

Hepatitis D can be acute or chronic. Acute hepatitis D occurs suddenly and typically causes more severe symptoms. It may go away on its own. If the infection lasts for six months of longer, the condition is known as chronic hepatitis D. The long-term version of the infection develops gradually over time. The virus might be present in the body for several months before symptoms occur. As chronic hepatitis D progresses, the chances of complications increase. Many people with the condition eventually develop cirrhosis, or severe scarring of the liver. 

There’s currently no cure or vaccine for hepatitis D, but it can be prevented in people who aren’t already infected with hepatitis B. Treatment may also help prevent liver failure when the condition is detected early.

Smileband Health issues

Mind set is a way of understand you self in the form of a concept that can be addressed as innovation based around your internal figuration like a maze in a castle, mind set is based around having a clear mind, thinking above your standards to see inspiration from different sources of motivation that reaches for your transformation that would enable your cycle of change, as change is a mind set that makes a unique turn in life, also having a understanding of your self in the term of what your desire or passion would do to excel you in the right direction.                                                                                                                                 Winning is a mind set which gives you that inner self understand of confidence, this would give you a lift above your level or grade which is at a standard that confines with a special magnetic reaction based around connecting in the right affective manner due to success or failure, losing would give you the mind set to change and see a different concept that is a terminology that keeps you trying again and again to see a difference in your approach that did not work in the first place.                                                                   People can have key related affection to your mind set by implementating negative vibes or positive vibes, as this can be a element between disrespect or respect that aims a function based around mind set.                                                                                                                                                             Mind set has so much different terms from comuting from one end to another like a path of destruction in your brain, it can have its wrong approach that would frame your ability to enable you to exceed your vision within your mind because you are not advance To your level of ability.                  Level of ability would form as a unique element to each individual as a person of there own method or a different way that is based around a different approach that would see a understand in a different light, excelling the same route based around not being your self would not bring a concept of ideas or structured innovation that is based on your exceeding ability, aim your strategy in the right form that would build your unique mind or transformtion to a different evolution to aims a vision of your future around your mind set.

Smileband General News

An 'inspirational' young mother was found hanged in a hotel room after she became terrified of losing her three-year-old son when he went to live with his father.

Ellen Scott from Haworth, West Yorkshire, suffered panic attacks as she battled her son's father for custody of their child, and became 'stressed' by the possibility she might be pregnant again. 

The 23-year-old - a keen blogger who was a studying for a degree in Event Management at Leeds Beckett University - was engaged to be married and set to fly out to visit friends in Toulouse, southern France on June 25 last year.

But Miss Scott was found in her room at the £100-a-night Hallmark Hotel near Manchester Airport where she had been staying overnight ahead of her flight. Two scraps of handwritten paper were found in the bin, which read 'suicide' and 'recovery.

Miss Scott has been described by her parents as an 'amazing inspirational young lady' and 'the kindest person on this earth.'

An inquest into Miss Scott's death heard  she suffered from mood swings and was prescribed anti depressants after she became 'terrified' of losing her child when he temporarily went to live his father. 

Although she got custody of the child following a court battle Miss Scott had also been to see her GP with anxiety and had become concerned about a pregnancy test. n a public blog written three weeks before her death Miss Scott wrote: 'The soul is so unbelievably confusing, we never stop learning about how our unconscious thought process affects our actions on an unwell mind - not that my mind is unwell, it just has its days.

'This mindset only creeps in to haunt when I become anxious of my Cub's return. I am learning to use my energies in a positive manner. I get paranoid and realize these feelings are only present because on occasion he hasn't returned home.

'I was emotionally tormented for such a period of time that it is only natural to go into defence and panic. Any mother would be exactly the same. It's a long game of driving somebody completely insane. Miss Scott's mother Anna, 49, told the inquest in Cheshire: 'Her mood swings were to the extreme. She could be so happy or she could be so down that she couldn't get out of bed.

'The Thursday before her birthday I sent her pictures of her son in the paddling pool and she replied 'is it nice outside?' which meant she was having a bad day. But being typically Ellen she was taken out by friends in the evening and had a really nice evening, she was very up and down all the time.

'On her birthday she was happy, and we had cake and her son was very excited to give it to her. She was excited to go France too. It is difficult because she was so changeable all the time. One of the biggest problems for her is that she was terrified of losing her son. The previous summer his dad had taken him and said he was living with him. We went through all the courts and we got him back into her custody. 'The court order states that he gets to have him one week at the end of the month and that was when her anxiety was sky high, when she was not with him. She tried to fill her week with things to take her mind off it - they were not amicable as is suggested.

'She got to the hotel around 4pm ish and she still seemed okay until later on that night. Then the messages I got became much more serious and she began talking about the pregnancy and asked if I could speak to her fiancé. I told her 'no he needs to talk to you' and 'you need to come home and talk to him' and not to go to France.

'She sent me a message that she wanted me to send to him and in the message she referred to having thought about hanging herself from the ceiling but that she chickened out. She did call me but I didn't answer. When I tried to call her back she didn't answer and said she didn't want to speak to me

'Sometimes with Ellen it was better to take a hard line with her to be able to pull her out of it, but it just didn't work that night. The last message I got from her didn't really make sense, she said 'I'm losing control of my life' and something else that didn't make sense.

'I rang the hotel because I was worried about her and I couldn't get through to anyone. I left a voicemail. I just wanted them to check the room.

It was the same situation that we had been thought a thousand times but this time there was no one there to talk her out of it.

'She probably didn't realise it would be so quick, that she would be unconscious so quickly and that no one was there to help her. I'm sure she didn't go to the hotel with the intention to do that.'

The inquest heard a taxi arrived for Ellen at 4.45am on the 25th of June but there was a do not disturb sign on her door and no answer when they called for her and the cab drove off. Staff found her body at 1.30pm when they used the master key to get entry.

Smileband Health issues

Fleas are small wingless insects that live on the blood of humans and animals. Although they prefer to live and feed on animals such as dogs and cats, they do consider humans as their source of food as well. Actually, there are different species of fleas, which has its own favored hosts, although each type of species is not limited to one type of host. This blood-sucking insect has mouth parts adapted to pierce the skin. It appears as reddish-brown in color or sometimes black, about one-eight of an inch in length and gets around by jumping from one place to another. Their bodies are flattened from side to side and have spines or spikes in the mouth, back and legs to stick firmly on their host, thus preventing it from getting groomed off. They also have claws on their legs adapted for travel in between hair shafts. Fleas bite in order to survive. Why else would they do it? They are not trying to hurt you on purpose. Fleas have been known to store blood 15 times more than their weight and they need blood two to three times per day. Female fleas need blood in order to reproduce when actually fleas only mate once in their life. Flea bites on humans are usually caused by fleas on cats and dogs and are usually very itchy and sometimes painful, appearing as small red bumps with a red halo around the bite. This reaction is actually caused by the flea’s saliva. Flea bites come in clusters or groups of about four and can even appear in a straight line. These bites are common on the ankles and legs, even around the waist, armpits, breasts, groin, and in the folds of elbows and knees. Some people are more sensitive than others and may have a risk of getting hives or developing a rash from flea bites, and some can even have a serious allergic reaction even from a single bite. 

Dangers of flea bites

While too much itching and scratching can lead to infection, flea bites are also associated with other dangers. The dangers from flea bites are due to the disease carrying nature of fleas. The “black Plauge is actually caused by a type of bacteria called Yersinia pestis spread by fleas, and killed 25 million people. There are a number of flea diseases that can be transmitted from fleas, but there is one particular among them that can be acquired from a flea bite. As of today, a number of cases of bubonic plague have been recorded in the United States. Fleas are actually the vectors or the insects that transmits the pathogen which will cause the disease. Wild rodents such as rats are the natural carriers of the disease, which then infects the fleas when it bites them. The digestive system of the fleas is blocked by the reproduction of the bacteria, which will cause the flea to bite frequently to prevent from starving. The disease is then transmitted to humans via flea bites; the fleas may regurgitate infected blood to the bite wound. Signs and symptoms of bubonic plague may occur within a week of exposure to the bacteria. Symptoms may include headache, fever, fatigue or weakness, and the painful swollen lymph nodes known as “buboes”. There are other flea diseases that can be spread by fleas but through a different mode of transmission. 

Smileband Health issues

Things that eat other things tend to quickly lose interest in dead prey, so some insects that employ the strategy of playing dead (thanatosis) can often escape unharmed. Threatened insects simply let go of whatever they happen to be hanging on to and drop, motionless, to the ground where they put on the performance of a lifetime. Certain caterpillars, ladybugs, many beetles, weevils, robber flies, and giant water bugs all employ this technique. Guess what Death-feigning beetles do to protect themselves, Some bugs release irritants so awful that it automatically makes "get it off! get it off!" the only thing a predator thinks. It's not the most romantic defense mechanism, but it gives the insect time to escape. Some blister beetles produce a blistering (hmm, I think I know how they got their name) agent. Droplets of this will ooze from the beetle's leg joints when it is disturbed or threatened -- an adaptation known as reflex bleeding. Some termites, cockroaches, earwigs, stick insects, and beetles will literally spray acid at attackers. The (fantastic) bombardier beetle stores chemicals in specialized glands, and when threatened, mixes them together to produce a forceful discharge of boiling hot quinone and water vapor (steam). Seriously. That is @$#% awesome. 
Some caterpillars have hollow body hairs that contain a painful irritant. Simply brushing against the pretty, soft-looking fluff will cause them to break and get all over your skin, resulting in an intense burning that may last for several hours. Many ants, bees, and wasps deliver venom to their enemies by means of a formidable stinger (modified ovipositor). The venom is a complex mixture of proteins and amino acids that not only induces intense pain but may also trigger an allergic reaction in the victim. Some insects don't have fancy weaponry or acting chops and have to rely on speed to get away. For many insects, a quick escape by running or flying is the primary mode of defense. 
Sure, Mr. Miyagi can catch flies with chopsticks, but can you? House flies have an insanely fast reaction time when you try to swat them. They can fly away 30-50 milliseconds after sensing a threat! And a cockroach? Those nasty things have tiny, super-sensitive hairs that are acute enough to detect the change in air pressure that might occur right before you try to step on them. It can react in less than 50 milliseconds. Just try and hit them with a newspaper. You can't do it.

Smileband Health issues

Hepatitis A is a highly contagious liver infection caused by the hepatitis A virus. The virus is one of several types of hepatitis viruses that cause inflammation and affect your liver's ability to function.

You're most likely to get hepatitis A from contaminated food or water or from close contact with a person or object that's infected. Mild cases of hepatitis A don't require treatment. Most people who are infected recover completely with no permanent liver damage. Practicing good hygiene, including washing hands frequently, is one of the best ways to protect against hepatitis A. Vaccines are available for people most at risk.

Symptoms

Hepatitis A signs and symptoms typically don't appear until you've had the virus for a few weeks. But not everyone with hepatitis A develops them. If you do, hepatitis signs and symptoms can include:

• Fatigue
• Sudden nausea and vomiting
• Abdominal pain or discomfort, especially on the upper right side beneath your lower ribs (by your liver)
• Clay-colored bowel movements
• Loss of appetite
• Low-grade fever
• Dark urine
• Joint pain
• Yellowing of the skin and the whites of your eyes (jaundice)
• Intense itching

These symptoms may be relatively mild and go away in a few weeks. Sometimes, however, hepatitis A infection results in a severe illness that lasts several months. Hepatitis A is caused by a virus that infects liver cells and causes inflammation. The inflammation can affect how your liver works and cause other signs and symptoms of hepatitis A.

The virus most commonly spreads when you eat or drink something contaminated with fecal matter, even just tiny amounts. It does not spread through sneezing or coughing.

Here are some of the specific ways the hepatitis A virus can spread:

• Eating food handled by someone with the virus who doesn't thoroughly wash his or her hands after using the toilet
• Drinking contaminated water
• Eating raw shellfish from water polluted with sewage
• Being in close contact with a person who's infected — even if that person has no signs or symptoms
• Having sex with someone who has the virus

Risk factors

You're at increased risk of hepatitis A if you:

• Travel or work in areas of the world where hepatitis A is common
• Attend child care or work in a child care center
• Live with another person who has hepatitis A
• Are a man who has sexual contact with other men
• Have any type of sexual contact with someone who has hepatitis A
• Are HIV positive
• Have a clotting-factor disorder, such as hemophilia
• Use any type of illegal drugs (not just those that are injected)

Complications

Unlike other types of viral hepatitis, hepatitis A does not cause long-term liver damage, and it doesn't become chronic.

In rare cases, hepatitis A can cause a sudden loss of liver function, especially in older adults or people with chronic liver diseases. Acute liver failure requires a stay in the hospital for monitoring and treatment. Some people with acute liver failure may need a liver transplant.

Prevention

The hepatitis A vaccine can prevent infection with the virus. The vaccine is typically given in two shots. The first one is followed by a booster shot six months later.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends a hepatitis A vaccine for the following people:

• All children at age 1, or older children who didn't receive the childhood vaccine
• Laboratory workers who may come in contact with hepatitis A
• Men who have sex with men
• People with other risk factors who work or travel in parts of the world where hepatitis A is common
• People who use any type of illegal drugs, not just injected ones
• People who receive treatment with clotting-factor concentrates
• People with chronic liver disease

If you're concerned about your risk of hepatitis A, ask your doctor if you should be vaccinated.

Follow safety precautions when traveling

If you're traveling to parts of the world where hepatitis A outbreaks occur, take these steps to prevent infection:

• Peel and wash all fresh fruits and vegetables yourself.
• Don't eat raw or undercooked meat and fish.
• Drink bottled water and use it when brushing your teeth.
• Avoid all beverages of unknown purity, with or without ice.
• If bottled water isn't available, boil tap water before drinking it.

Practice good hygiene

Thoroughly wash your hands often, especially after using the toilet or changing a diaper and before preparing food or eating.