RIGA - Hepatitis A has swept across Latvia, killing five people and infecting thousands more, according to the Latvian Infectious Diseases Center.
It is the first epidemic in Latvia in 20 years. The disease, which can be fatal, has spread through contaminated food and water.
A report released on Oct. 6 by the Infectious Diseases Center revealed that there were 741 confirmed cases of the disease between Jan. 1, and Sept. 24, while 139 people are currently being treated in the center today.
Health experts say the problem is getting worse.
"It is likely to continue to spread in Latvia next year, as people lack special immunity to this virus," Baiba Rozentale, head of the Infectious Diseases Center said.
Rozentale explained that the overall number is even higher as some people are convalescing at home rather than being hospitalized.
The fatal cases, all women between the ages of 25 and 45, occurred in patients with underlying diseases such as HIV and AIDS.
According to a journal for infectious diseases, 285 suspected cases of hepatitis A were under investigation as of Sept. 24.
An additional 11 cases were connected to schools in Riga, another 9 cases were registered in prison and at least 93 cases were linked to households in the community, according to the epidemiology journal Eurosurveillance.
Almost half of the cases have been reported amongst the unemployed, "implying low income and possibly bad living conditions," reads the analysis.
While young people are not getting vaccinated against this form of hepatitis, the future for Latvian health looks bleak as the disease has found fertile ground to breed and manifest. According to Eurosurveillance, only 15 cases of the disease were registered in Latvia in 2007.
A large portion of sufferers are intravenous drug users, contracting the disease through shared needles, the Eurosurveillance report reveals. "Since December 2007, 108 cases of hepatitis A were registered among intravenous drug users (IDUs). From December 2007 till March 2008, IDUs constituted about one third of all hepatitis A cases," the report reads.
Earlier this year, The Baltic Times reported an outbreak of hepatitis A associated with a restaurant in Riga, involving 47 cases due to contaminated food, contracted from a staff member.
Laura Budele, head of the Public Health Service's public relations department, spoke to TBT about the case involving the infamous Stella Pub back in May. She said the virus was probably spread when one of the restaurants employees failed to wash his or her hands before handling food.
"The virus must have been spread by the worker using the restroom and not washing their hands afterwards. This infected the food they were working with as well as the people eating the food."
The health ministry did not comment on the outbreak when TBT went to press.
What is Hepatitis A?
It is an acute infectious disease of the liver caused by a virus which is most commonly transmitted by the fecal-oral route (when feces comes into contact with the mouth) via contaminated food or water.
Approximately, 10 million people worldwide are infected with the virus.
Symptoms
Fatigue, fever, abdominal pain, nausea, diarrhea, appetite loss, depression, weight loss, jaundice (a yellowing of the skin or whites of the eyes).
Treatment
There is no specific treatment for hepatitis A. Sufferers are advised to rest, avoid fatty foods and alcohol (these may be poorly tolerated for some additional months during the recovery phase and cause minor relapses), eat a well-balanced diet, and stay hydrated.
The disease can be prevented by vaccination, and the hepatitis A vaccine has been proved effective in controlling outbreaks worldwide.
