Estonia recalls Hep A warning

TALLINN- In response to the Latvian ForeignMinistry's request, Estonia has recalled a recommendation against visiting Latviadue to an increased risk of hepatitis A.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Ivars Lasis told reporters in response to a notethat Latvia gave the Estonian Foreign Ministry earlier this week, the EstonianHealth Inspectorate stopped distributing the recommendation against planningschool children's trips to Latvia and to consider vaccination against thisinfection before traveling abroad.

The Latvian embassy in Tallinn gave the Estonian Foreign Ministry a notedemanding the recall of the recommendation against visiting Latvia due to anongoing outbreak of hepatitis A in this Baltic country, the press service ofthe ministry told BNS.

On Feb. 18, the Estonian Health Inspectorate released information on thehepatitis A outbreak in Latvia and advised residents to cancel plans to visitLatvia.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has never issued a recommendationagainst visiting a country due to an outbreak of hepatitis A.

Hepatitis A is quite widespread in several countries visited by touristsfrom the EU. The European Center for Disease Prevention and Control has notincluded in its report on the hepatitis outbreak in Latvia any recommendationsagainst visiting Latvia on tourist trips, but has only advised visitors to takepreventive measures.

According to the latest statistics, the number of new hepatitis A casesrecorded in Latvia this year has reached 1,000, with most cases reported inRiga and its area.

In 2008, a total of 2,915 people fell ill with hepatitis A in Latvia, whileonly 13 people caught the disease in Estonia.