Related Experiment Video
Updated: Nov 28, 2025
A Cell Culture Model for Producing High Titer Hepatitis E Virus Stocks
Published on: June 26, 2020
An Outbreak of Hepatitis A among Young Adult Men in Cyprus
Panagiotis Dimitriou1, Georgios K Nikolopoulos2, Maria Koliou3
1Department of Medicine, Nicosia General Hospital, 2029 Nicosia, Cyprus.
Background:
Outbreaks of acute hepatitis A (AHA) have recently been reported in Europe among men who have sex with men (MSM). The aim of this work was to evaluate, for the first time, trends in the reported cases of AHA in Cyprus over the last seven years.
Methods:
We retrospectively studied all people reported with AHA in Cyprus between January 2013 and December 2019. Demographic data, type of transmission, vaccination status for HAV, laboratory and clinical data were analyzed.
Results:
The asnalysis involved 33 AHA cases (age 32.7 ± 17.4 years, 78.8% males). An increase in AHA reports was observed between July 2017 and June 2018 when more than a third (n = 13) of the cases of the period 2013-2019 were reported. The reporting rate of AHA doubled from 0.52 cases per 100,000 population (before July 2017) to 1.12 cases per 100,000 population (July 2017-June 2018). The male/female (M/F) ratio increased from one in 2013 to eight in 2018.
Conclusion:
An increase in AHA reports occurred in Cyprus between July 2017 and June 2018. Many cases with AHA in that period were MSM. Enhanced surveillance and timely public health interventions, like vaccination and awareness promotion, are important for preventing future outbreaks.
