Jaundice contagious infection & Prevention and reasons for the spread of jaundice

Is jaundice contagious? I have a friend who has pancreatic cancer and has developed jaundice. She was worried that I could catch it if I went to visit her?
( 9 Sep 2008)

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You should be aware that jaundice is an infection and is caused by a virus. The liver of the patient is affected by this virus. As a result the liver becomes tender and swollen.

The inflammation could also result in destruction of patches of liver tissue.
If your friend is suffering from jaundice, then there are chances of her passing it on to you and other people with whom she is in contact. Jaundice is indeed contagious.

A person who has jaundice may pass on the infection unknowingly. For instance, if you visit your friend and she passed you food, then you can get the infection through the food. If your friend does not observe proper hygiene then this can cause her to spread the virus to the people with whom she comes in contact. It is essential that she wash her hands frequently, especially after a visit to the bathroom. In addition, she should try and avoid touching the food that she is giving other people, who are unaffected by the virus. She can either use tongs or other utensils to server the food or else invite her guests to serve themselves. Again, the food that she serves them should have been prepared with great care. If she has cooked the food, or even handled it, then she should try to avoid severing her guests with this food. Other packaged food from her house can be consumed, as long as it is not handled by her.
Jaundice is an illness which manifests itself only two to six weeks after the virus attacks. The initial symptoms of this illness are a loss of appetite, fever and extreme fatigue. However, all of these symptoms are common to several other illnesses and therefore, it is more than likely that the person who has jaundice may not even be aware that she has jaundice for some time at least. It is during such periods of uncertainty that the patient is most likely to pass on the infection to other people. Food that has been handled by a patient and then passed on to others, is the most likely reason for the spread of jaundice.
If your friend does observe the basic rules of hygiene, then the chances of her passing on the infection to are less remote. However, if she is not able to really adhere to the strict rules of hygiene, then you might want to reconsider visiting her. A way out of this problem would be to visit your friend but try to avoid eating anything at her place.

answered by G R on 9 Sep 2008, 6:28:46

Jaundice contagious infection & Prevention and reasons for the spread of jaundice

Is jaundice contagious? I have a friend who has pancreatic cancer and has developed jaundice. She was worried that I could catch it if I went to visit her? ( 9 Sep 2008)

Is jaundice contagious? I have a friend who has pancreatic cancer and has developed jaundice. She was worried that I could catch it if I went to visit her?
( 9 Sep 2008)