Hepatitis A Outbreaks: Risks, Prevention, and Expert Insights

An outbreak of hepatitis A has been reported in the Campania region of Italy, with the municipalities of Teano, Sessa Aurunca, and Cellole identified as the most affected areas. Local health authorities are monitoring the situation closely as cases continue to emerge, prompting public health alerts and preventive measures in the affected communities.

The hepatitis A virus is a highly contagious liver infection that spreads primarily through person-to-person contact or by consuming contaminated food or drink. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the virus is found in the stool and blood of infected individuals and can be transmitted via close personal contact, including certain types of sexual contact or sharing drugs. Contamination of food and water during growing, harvesting, processing, or handling also poses a risk, although such outbreaks are uncommon in the United States.

Recent data from the CDC shows fluctuations in hepatitis A cases in the United States over the past decade. After a long downward trend, reported cases increased from 1,562 in 2012 to 1,781 in 2013 due to a large multistate outbreak linked to pomegranate arils imported from Turkey. Between 2015 and 2016, cases rose again from 1,390 to 2,007, driven primarily by two foodborne outbreaks tied to contaminated imported foods. From late 2016 through 2019, substantial increases occurred due to ongoing person-to-person outbreaks among people who use drugs and people experiencing homelessness. Following these surges, the rate of newly reported hepatitis A cases decreased by 91% from 2019 to 2023. In 2023, there were 1,648 reported cases, which is 1.2 times the number recorded in 2015 before the person-to-person transmission outbreaks were first identified. Multistate outbreaks in 2022 and 2023 were linked to imported organic strawberries, with 19 cases reported in 2022 and an outbreak in 2023 potentially tied to frozen organic strawberries. Disruptions to healthcare access and surveillance during the COVID-19 pandemic may have affected case detection and reporting in 2020 and 2021.

Hepatitis A is a highly contagious virus that spreads through person-to-person contact or by consuming contaminated food or drink. The virus is present in the stool and blood of infected individuals and can be transmitted via close personal contact, including certain types of sexual contact or sharing drugs. Contamination of food and water can occur during growing, harvesting, processing, handling, or even after cooking. Although uncommon, foodborne outbreaks can occur in the United States from people eating contaminated fresh or frozen food products. Certain groups are at increased risk for infection, including international travelers, people experiencing homelessness, people who use drugs, and men who have sex with men. Vaccination is the best way to prevent hepatitis A. In most cases, people who contract the virus recover within two months.