Health officials fear hepatitis outbreak in South Moravia could worsen in spring

Health authorities in the South Moravian Region expect the number of hepatitis cases to rise in spring. They say people will spend more time outdoors and may eat outside more often. Renata Ciupek, head of the anti-epidemic department, told journalists today that the outbreak did not slow down during winter, even when people were wearing gloves.

More frequent disinfection of public spaces and public transport vehicles also failed to reduce the spread. Ciupek partly attributes this to people not following basic hygiene habits and urges thorough handwashing and preventive vaccination.

The outbreak of Hepatitis A in the Czech Republic began last year. In the South Moravian Region, cases rose quickly in autumn and have remained high since. Health officials recorded 115 infections in January and 87 in February, nearly a third of the nationwide total. The city most affected is Brno.