Steady Decline of Hepatitis A in Switzerland

A Swiss TPH study analysing surveillance data from Switzerland over the last 30 years shows a strong decline from 628 hepatitis A cases in 1988 to 43 cases in 2016. The study was published yesterday in the peer-reviewed journal Travel Medicine and Infectious Disease. In most European countries, the prevalence of hepatitis A has been reduced substantially over the past decades. In Switzerland, the notification rate of the disease decreased from 9.5/100'000 population (628 cases) in 1988 to 0.5/100'000 population (43 cases) in 2016. "The decline we have seen over the past 30 years is mainly thanks to informing and raising the awareness for the disease, targeting intravenous drug users, and vaccinating risk groups such as travellers and men who have sex with men." said Daniel Mäusezahl, senior scientist at Swiss TPH. While in the 80s and early 90s the main suspected reason for infection was linked to intravenous drug use; today it occurs mainly due to consumption of contaminated food. The proportion of those who were most likely infected while travelling abroad also increased over time.