The incidence of viral hepatitis type A (VHA) is also recorded by hygienists in the districts of Rimavská Sobota and Revúca. A higher number of cases of jaundice appeared in the region after seven years, the most cases are currently in the village of Rakytník. Adriana Strečková, deputy regional hygienist and head of the epidemiology department of the Regional Office of Public Health (RÚVZ) in Rimavská Sobota, told TASR.
Hygienists have been registering cases of jaundice in Rimavská Sobota and Revúca districts since the end of September. The first disease appeared in the village of Rakytník in a child who had been living in the neighboring district of Lučenec for a long time, where the jaundice epidemic has been recorded since spring. In Rakytník RÚVZ records 15 cases so far, two in the village of Sútor. In both villages, the disease occurred in families with low hygiene standards.
“In the Revúca district, we register three active outbreaks in families with low hygiene standards, where we recorded two sporadic cases in the city of Tornaľa and one sporadic case in the city of Jelšava in an eight-year-old child,” explained Strečková.
RÚVZ also adopted anti-pandemic measures in connection with the occurrence of jaundice. Medical supervision and vaccination against VHA was ordered for all direct contacts as well as contacts from elementary and kindergarten. Disinfection in outbreaks was also ordered.
Hygienists last recorded a higher incidence of type A jaundice in Rimavská Sobota and Revúca districts in 2018. At that time, 50 diseases were confirmed in 15 villages in the Rimavskosobot District, another 17 cases were in Revúca and four villages of the Revúck District.
Jaundice type A has also been registered since spring in the neighboring district of Lučenec, where this year the highest incidence of VHA in the Banskobystrica region is recorded. In the Gemer region, since April, jaundice has also been spreading in the Rožňava district, where more than 130 cases have been recorded so far.
Hepatitis A is a contagious disease, it causes viral liver inflammation in humans. The virus is most often transmitted by direct contact. The disease begins with flu-like symptoms and gastrointestinal symptoms associated with abdominal pain, joint pain, general malaise, fever, and dark urine. In a few days, most patients will develop jaundice.
