Two concurrent outbreaks of hepatitis A highlight the risk of infection for non-immune travellers to Morocco, January to June 2018.

Two concurrent outbreaks of hepatitis A highlight the risk of infection for non-immune travellers to Morocco, January to June 2018.
Euro Surveill. 2018 Jul;23(27):
Authors: Gassowski M, Michaelis K, Wenzel JJ, Faber M, Figoni J, Mouna L, Friesema IH, Vennema H, Avellon A, Varela C, Sundqvist L, Lundberg Ederth J, Plunkett J, Balogun K, Ngui SL, Midgley SE, Gillesberg Lassen S, Müller L
Abstract
From January to June 2018, two ongoing hepatitis A outbreaks affected travellers returning from Morocco and cases in Europe without travel history, resulting in 163 patients in eight European countries. Most interviewed travel-related cases were unaware of the hepatitis A risk in Morocco. Molecular analysis revealed two distinct hepatitis A virus (HAV) strains (subgenotype IA DK2018_231; subgenotype IB V18-16428). Vaccination recommendations should be emphasised to increase awareness among non-immune travellers to Morocco and HAV-endemic countries.
PMID: 29991381 [PubMed - in process]

Source: Euro Surveill - July 1, 2018 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Gassowski M, Michaelis K, Wenzel JJ, Faber M, Figoni J, Mouna L, Friesema IH, Vennema H, Avellon A, Varela C, Sundqvist L, Lundberg Ederth J, Plunkett J, Balogun K, Ngui SL, Midgley SE, Gillesberg Lassen S, Müller L Tags: Euro Surveill Source Type: research