Weekly releases (1997–2007) - Volume 8, Issue 22, 27 May 2004

A review of notifications to the Department of Epidemiology in the Statens Serum Institut has revealed a cluster of cases of hepatitis A acquired in Denmark among men aged 18 years or older.

It is unusual for an upsurge in hepatitis A incidence to be seen in spring or early summer in the Netherlands. A recent increase in the number of notifications of hepatitis A has, however, been detected through the Dutch data collection system for notifiable diseases

The current International Health Regulations, which were published by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 1969, were originally intended to help monitor and control six serious infectious diseases.

In Germany, since 2001, more than 50 infectious diseases or pathogens have been notifiable under the Infektionsschutzgesetz. Case based data are compiled at the Robert Koch Institute in a central database. By October 2003, this database held 860,000 case records and is currently growing by 300,000 cases per year.