Professional paper
https://doi.org/10.21860/medflum2023_306356
New Epidemiological Fetures of Hepatitis A - Experience of the Clinical Centre Rijeka in the Past Twelve-Year Period
Valentina Ferenčić
; Nastavni zavod za javno zdravstvo Istarske županije, Pula, Hrvatska
Irena Slavuljica
; Klinički bolnički centar Rijeka, Klinika za infektivne bolesti, Rijeka, Hrvatska
Abstract
Aim: Incidence of hepatitis A in our country, like other developed countries, is low due to the improvement of socioeconomic and hygienic standards. However, in the last decade epidemics of hepatitis A related to the "new" sexual route of transmission have been described, mainly in the Men Sex Men (MSM) population. Since in the developed countries hepatitis A occurs more commonly in adults, the frequency of complications is higher compared to underdeveloped countries known as "paradoxical risk". The aim is to characterize current epidemiological features and clinical presentation of hepatitis A infection. Patients and methods: A retrospective study was conducted in the Clinic for Infectious Diseases, University Hospital Centre Rijeka from 2010 to 2021 and included 21 patients with hepatitis A. Results: The age range of patients was six to 70 years, and most patients were middle-aged (40 - 49 years). In the period from 2010 to 2016, 0 - 1 patients with hepatitis A were treated annually while in 2017 and 2018 16 patients were treated, mostly man. Two patients were treated in 2019. while in 2020 and 2021, during COVID-19 pandemic, there were no patients with HAV. In addition to the feco-oral route, the major assumed route of transmission was sexual in MSM population. The course of disease was mild in all patients. Conclusions: Epidemiological characteristics of patients included in the study reflect the new epidemiological trends of hepatitis A in developed countries with most patients being infected in adulthood and the "new" sexual route of transmission.
Keywords
Disease Outbreaks; Epidemiology; Hepatitis A; Sexually Transmitted Diseases
Hrčak ID:
306356
URI
Publication date:
1.9.2023.
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