1887
  1. Home
  2. Eurosurveillance
  3. Volume 29, Issue 21, 23/May/2024
  4. Article
Rapid communication Open Access
Like 0
Download

Abstract

An outbreak of hepatitis A is ongoing in Portugal, with 71 confirmed cases from 7 October 2023 to 24 April 2024. Most cases are male, aged 18–44 years, with many identifying as men who have sex with men (MSM) and reported as suspected sexual transmission. Phylogenetic analysis identified the subgenotype IA, VRD 521–2016 strain, last observed in an MSM-associated multi-country outbreak in 2016 to 2018. We wish to alert colleagues in other countries to investigate potential similar spread.

© Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Loading

Article metrics loading...

/content/10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2024.29.21.2400272
2024-05-23
2024-12-21
/content/10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2024.29.21.2400272
Loading
Loading full text...

Full text loading...

/deliver/fulltext/eurosurveillance/29/21/eurosurv-29-21_2.html?itemId=/content/10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2024.29.21.2400272&mimeType=html&fmt=ahah

References

  1. Instituto Nacional de Saúde Doutor Ricardo Jorge (INSA IP). Inquérito Serológico Nacional 2015-2016: Doenças Evitáveis por Vacinação. [National serological survey 2015-2016: vaccine-preventable diseases]. Lisbon: INSA IP; 2017: 158 p. Portuguese. Available from: https://repositorio.insa.pt/bitstream/10400.18/5401/1/INSA_ISN-2015-2016-DEV_web.pdf
  2. Carrillo-Santisteve P, Tavoschi L, Severi E, Bonfigli S, Edelstein M, Byström E, et al. Seroprevalence and susceptibility to hepatitis A in the European Union and European Economic Area: a systematic review. Lancet Infect Dis. 2017;17(10):e306-19.  https://doi.org/10.1016/S1473-3099(17)30392-4  PMID: 28645862 
  3. Ndumbi P, Freidl GS, Williams CJ, Mårdh O, Varela C, Avellón A, et al. , Members of the European Hepatitis A Outbreak Investigation Team. Hepatitis A outbreak disproportionately affecting men who have sex with men (MSM) in the European Union and European Economic Area, June 2016 to May 2017. Euro Surveill. 2018;23(33):1700641.  https://doi.org/10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2018.23.33.1700641  PMID: 30131095 
  4. European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). Surveillance atlas of infectious diseases. Stockholm: ECDC. [Accessed: 15 Apr 2024]. Available from: http://atlas.ecdc.europa.eu/public
  5. European Commission. Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2018/945 of 22 June 2018 on the communicable diseases and related special health issues to be covered by epidemiological surveillance as well as relevant case definitions. Official Journal of the European Union. Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union 6.7.2018:L 170/1. Available from: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX%3A32018D0945&from=EN%29
  6. Kroneman A, de Sousa R, Verhoef L, Koopmans MPG, Vennema H, HAVNet network. Usability of the international HAVNet hepatitis A virus database for geographical annotation, backtracing and outbreak detection. Euro Surveill. 2018;23(37):1700802.  https://doi.org/10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2018.23.37.1700802  PMID: 30229723 
  7. Directorate-General for Health (DGS). Norma no. 016/2017. Vacinação no âmbito do surto de hepatite A. [Standard no. 016/2017. Vaccination in the context of the hepatitis A outbreak]. Lisbon: DGS; 14 Aug 2017. Portuguese. Available from: https://www.dgs.pt/directrizes-da-dgs/normas-e-circulares-normativas/norma-n-0162017-de-14082017-pdf.aspx
  8. Oliveira M, Matues A, Veríssimo L, Lima E, Duque L, Rocha M. Are men who have sex with men (MSM) living in Portugal being systematically vaccinated for hepatitis A virus? HepHIV2023; 13-15 November 2023, Madrid, Spain. Poster presentation.  https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.13675.31523 
  9. Friesema IH, Sonder GJ, Petrignani MW, Meiberg AE, van Rijckevorsel GG, Ruijs WL, et al. Spillover of a hepatitis A outbreak among men who have sex with men (MSM) to the general population, the Netherlands, 2017. Euro Surveill. 2018;23(23):1800265.  https://doi.org/10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2018.23.23.1800265  PMID: 29897040 
  10. European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). Communicable disease threats report, 17-23 March 2024, week 12. Stockholm: ECDC; 2024. Available from: https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/sites/default/files/documents/communicable-disease-threats-report-week-12-2024.pdf
  11. Yoneshigue B. Hepatite A: casos explodem e deixam pelo menos três capitais em alerta; saiba quais são e como se proteger. [Hepatitis A: cases explode and leave at least three capital cities on alert; find out where and how to protect yourself]. Rio de Janeiro: Globo Medicina; 6 October 2023. Portuguese. Available from: https://oglobo.globo.com/saude/medicina/noticia/2023/10/06/hepatite-a-sao-paulo-emite-alerta-apos-casos-em-2023-ja-ultrapassarem-o-total-somado-dos-dois-anos-anteriores.ghtml
  12. Stene-Johansen K, Tjon G, Schreier E, Bremer V, Bruisten S, Ngui SL, et al. Molecular epidemiological studies show that hepatitis A virus is endemic among active homosexual men in Europe. J Med Virol. 2007;79(4):356-65.  https://doi.org/10.1002/jmv.20781  PMID: 17311331 
  13. Mena G, García-Basteiro AL, Bayas JM. Hepatitis B and A vaccination in HIV-infected adults: A review. Hum Vaccin Immunother. 2015;11(11):2582-98.  https://doi.org/10.1080/21645515.2015.1055424  PMID: 26208678 
  14. Satterwhite CL, Torrone E, Meites E, Dunne EF, Mahajan R, Ocfemia MC, et al. Sexually transmitted infections among US women and men: prevalence and incidence estimates, 2008. Sex Transm Dis. 2013;40(3):187-93.  https://doi.org/10.1097/OLQ.0b013e318286bb53  PMID: 23403598 
Ongoing outbreak of hepatitis A associated with sexual transmission among men who have sex with men, Portugal, October 2023 to April 2024
<p class="citation"> <span>Citation style for this article:</span> <span class="meta-value authors"> <a href="/search?value1=Ebba+Rosendal&option1=author&noRedirect=true" class="nonDisambigAuthorLink">Rosendal Ebba</a>, <a href="/search?value1=Sebastian+von+Schreeb&option1=author&noRedirect=true" class="nonDisambigAuthorLink">von Schreeb Sebastian</a>, <a href="/search?value1=Alexandre+Gomes&option1=author&noRedirect=true" class="nonDisambigAuthorLink">Gomes Alexandre</a>, <a href="/search?value1=Sara+Lino&option1=author&noRedirect=true" class="nonDisambigAuthorLink">Lino Sara</a>, <a href="/search?value1=Berta+Grau-Pujol&option1=author&noRedirect=true" class="nonDisambigAuthorLink">Grau-Pujol Berta</a>, <a href="/search?value1=Sara+Magalh%C3%A3es&option1=author&noRedirect=true" class="nonDisambigAuthorLink">Magalhães Sara</a>, <a href="/search?value1=Vasco++Ricoca+Peixoto&option1=author&noRedirect=true" class="nonDisambigAuthorLink">Ricoca Peixoto Vasco </a>, <a href="/search?value1=Carla+Roque&option1=author&noRedirect=true" class="nonDisambigAuthorLink">Roque Carla</a>, <a href="/search?value1=Joana+Moreno&option1=author&noRedirect=true" class="nonDisambigAuthorLink">Moreno Joana</a>, <a href="/search?value1=Fernando+Maltez&option1=author&noRedirect=true" class="nonDisambigAuthorLink">Maltez Fernando</a>, <a href="/search?value1=Fernando+Almeida&option1=author&noRedirect=true" class="nonDisambigAuthorLink">Almeida Fernando</a>, <a href="/search?value1=Rita++S%C3%A1+Machado&option1=author&noRedirect=true" class="nonDisambigAuthorLink">Sá Machado Rita </a>, <a href="/search?value1=Rui+Tato+Marinho&option1=author&noRedirect=true" class="nonDisambigAuthorLink">Marinho Rui Tato</a>, <a href="/search?value1=Paula+Vasconcelos&option1=author&noRedirect=true" class="nonDisambigAuthorLink">Vasconcelos Paula</a>, <a href="/search?value1=Rita+de+Sousa&option1=author&noRedirect=true" class="nonDisambigAuthorLink">de Sousa Rita</a>, <a href="/search?value1=Jo%C3%A3o++Vieira+Martins&option1=author&noRedirect=true" class="nonDisambigAuthorLink">Vieira Martins João </a></span>. Ongoing outbreak of hepatitis A associated with sexual transmission among men who have sex with men, Portugal, October 2023 to April 2024. <a href="/content/ecdc">Euro Surveill.</a> 2024;29(21):pii=2400272. <a href="https://doi.org/10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2024.29.21.2400272" title="doi link" target="_blank">https://doi.org/10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2024.29.21.2400272</a> <span class="ES_Article_citation"> <span class="generated">Received</span>: 06 May 2024;&nbsp;&nbsp; <span class="generated">Accepted</span>: 23 May 2024 </span> </p>
/content/10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2024.29.21.2400272
/content/10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2024.29.21.2400272
Loading

Data & Media loading...

Submit comment
Close
Comment moderation successfully completed
This is a required field
Please enter a valid email address
Approval was a Success
Invalid data
An Error Occurred
Approval was partially successful, following selected items could not be processed due to error