Hepatitis A outbreaks affecting men who have sex with men
ECDC has issued an updated rapid risk assessment on hepatitis A outbreaks in the EU/EEA which have mostly been affecting men who have sex with men.
Since February 2016, 287 confirmed hepatitis A cases infected with three distinct strains of sub-genotype IA virus have been reported by 13 EU countries. These include cases from eight additional countries including Ireland, 263 more cases and one additional strain compared with the data reported in the first risk assessment published on the 19 December 2016. Most cases are reported among adult men who have sex with men (MSM), with only nine women affected.
Hepatitis A infection is an acute self-limiting disease of the liver caused by the hepatitis A virus. Ireland is considered a low incidence country for hepatitis A with 36 cases notified in 2015.
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