Hepatitis A has already been recorded in five regions of Ukraine: how to protect yourself

Hepatitis A has already been documented in five regions of Ukraine. New cases have been reported in the Dnipro and Zakarpattia regions.

This information was reported by Suspilne and local media in the Dnipro region. According to Anatoliy Pshenychnyi, the director of the Health Department of the Zakarpattia Regional State Administration, 125 cases of the disease were recorded in the region in 2023.

"We cannot currently label it as an outbreak because there are no grounds for that. An outbreak is defined as when 3-5 cases are reported in one community, one family, team, or class," Pshenychnyi said.

In the Dnipropetrovs'k region, 32 cases have already been recorded. Experts are currently monitoring the water, and so far, no infection has been detected in the samples.

As you may know, hepatitis A is a viral disease that affects the liver, also known as Botkin's disease. The disease can manifest in both mild and severe forms.

Infection is transmitted through the consumption of contaminated food or water, poor personal hygiene, contact with an infected person, and sexual intercourse.

The virus can persist in water for 3 to 10 months, in feces for up to 30 days, and in a dry environment at room temperature for a week. Boiling water for 5 minutes can eliminate the infection.

Increased risk of hepatitis A infection is associated with inadequate sanitary conditions, untreated water, drug use, and travel to areas with high epidemic risks.

The incubation period for the disease is 14-28 days, and its symptoms include weakness and fatigue, fever, loss of appetite, diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal discomfort, heaviness in the right hypochondrium, darkening of urine, and jaundice.

The disease, however, provides lifelong immunity.

To protect against infection, it is essential to thoroughly wash hands with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds. It is also advisable to consume boiled water and wash food before consumption.

As reported by OBOZ.UA, on October 31, anti-epidemic measures were intensified in the Vinnytsia region due to a hepatitis A outbreak, which was declared a regional-level emergency.

As of November 1, seven individuals, including four adults and three children, were hospitalized at the regional infectious diseases hospital in Ivano-Frankivsk due to hepatitis A.

On November 3, the first case of viral hepatitis A was reported in the Ternopil region, involving a woman currently hospitalized.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health has denied rumors of a nationwide quarantine in Ukraine due to the hepatitis A outbreak. They acknowledged that the outbreak had only been identified in the Vinnytsia region, with isolated cases in other regions.

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