Official: Hepatitis A outbreak in Hungary – here’s what you need to know

The National Centre for Public Health said that in the first two months of this year, the number of infectious patients reported with suspected hepatitis A infection increased sevenfold compared to the same period last year.

Hepatitis A epidemic in Hungary

The most affected areas are Budapest, Pest and Fejér counties. They write that “the infection is expected to spread further, and the National Centre for Public Health and Pharmacy (NNGYK) has asked health professionals to consider this possibility when caring for patients, informing them about the spread of the virus and the possibilities of prevention”.

The disease caused by the hepatitis A virus is rare in developed countries and is a childhood disease in developing countries, with almost everyone surviving to adulthood. The virus is spread through contaminated faeces, water, ice and food. In rare cases, it can also be transmitted sexually. The infection is most common in places with poor hygiene and where water is not cleaned and where there is an inadequate supply of fresh water,” the statement said.

Vaccination against hepatitis A is recommended for people at risk. Those at increased risk include “those who travel to infected subtropical or tropical countries, live in or travel to places with inadequate sanitation (e.g. toilets with cavities or lack of running water), or who live with an underlying disease (e.g. This also includes people at increased risk of hepatitis A infection due to their lifestyle (e.g. intravenous drug users, MSM population)”.

Symptoms of Epidemic Hepatitis

The virus typically causes symptoms after an average incubation period of about 4 weeks (15–50 days). Fever, weakness, and abdominal pain commonly occur.

Liver involvement is indicated by the appearance of jaundice and dark-colored urine. These symptoms usually last for a few days to several weeks and then resolve spontaneously.

It is also possible for the disease to proceed without jaundice. In such cases, symptoms are non-specific, resembling those seen in other viral infections. Suspicion of infectious hepatitis may arise based on abnormalities found during laboratory tests—specifically elevated liver enzymes.

In rare instances, additional symptoms may develop, such as kidney involvement (nephritis) or inflammation of small blood vessels (vasculitis). In less than 1% of cases, acute liver failure may occur, characterized by marked jaundice, impaired consciousness, and coagulation disorders.

As we wrote yesterday, tightened controls at the Slovak-Hungarian border due to virus outbreak