Hepatitis A Outbreak Prompts Czech Republic Travel Warning

UK health authorities have issued travel advisories for tourists planning visits to the Czech Republic following a substantial increase in hepatitis A infections across the country. The outbreak has particularly affected Prague and the Central Bohemia and Moravia-Silesia regions.

The Czech Republic documented 450 confirmed hepatitis A cases and six deaths by May 5, 2024, already surpassing the previous year’s annual total of 636 cases with two fatalities. The Czech Health Ministry has identified poor hygiene practices as the primary factor driving transmission of the liver-affecting virus.

Hepatitis A spreads through the fecal-oral route when people consume food or water contaminated by infected individuals’ waste. The virus causes liver inflammation and can result in severe complications, particularly among older adults and those with existing liver conditions. While children often experience mild or no symptoms, adults typically develop illness within 14 to 50 days of exposure.

Common symptoms include yellowing of the skin and eyes, dark urine, fatigue, appetite loss, abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and severe itching. In rare instances, the infection can lead to acute liver failure, which may prove fatal.

The outbreak has affected diverse population groups including children, adolescents, young adults, drug users, and homeless individuals. Health officials have emphasized that the virus’s long incubation period and frequently symptom-free course in some patients increases the risk of unknowing transmission.

Travel Health Pro, the UK government’s official travel health information service, currently recommends that travelers to the Czech Republic consider vaccination before departure. The hepatitis A vaccine requires a two-dose course and should be administered 4 to 6 weeks before travel for optimal protection.

UK health services do not routinely provide hepatitis A vaccination domestically due to low transmission risk, but recommend it for travelers visiting regions where the virus is endemic or experiencing outbreaks. This includes parts of Africa, Asia, the Middle East, Central and South America, and now certain European areas.

Prevention measures include thorough hand washing with soap and water, particularly after using restrooms and before eating. Travelers should avoid raw salads, unpeeled fruits and vegetables, ice cubes, untreated water, raw or undercooked seafood, and street food prepared under questionable hygiene conditions.

Higher-risk groups include people traveling to outbreak regions, those staying with local residents, men who have sex with men, and individuals with chronic liver diseases or compromised immune systems.

The Czech government and European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control are monitoring the situation and implementing containment measures through hygiene campaigns, vaccination programs, and public awareness initiatives. Between 2005 and 2021, hepatitis A caused 42 deaths in the UK, demonstrating the infection’s potential severity despite its rarity in the country.