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Publication Details
AFRICAN RESEARCH NEXUS
SHINING A SPOTLIGHT ON AFRICAN RESEARCH
medicine
Acute hepatitis A in international travellers: a GeoSentinel analysis, 2008-2020
Journal of Travel Medicine, Volume 29, No. 2, Article taac013, Year 2022
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Description
Background: Non-immune international travellers are at risk of acquiring hepatitis A. Although hepatitis A vaccination is recommended for unvaccinated travellers to high or intermediate hepatitis A virus endemicity, compliance with this recommendation is not universal. The main objective was to describe the demographic and travel characteristics of international travellers infected with hepatitis A during travel. Methods: Available data on travellers with confirmed (positive molecular test) or probable (symptomatic individuals with a single positive IgM test) hepatitis A diagnosed during and after travel from January 2008 to December 2020 were obtained from the GeoSentinel Surveillance Network database. We analysed demographic and travel characteristics of infected travellers. Results: Among 254 travellers with hepatitis A (185 confirmed and 69 probable), the median age was 28 years (interquartile range: 19-40), 150 (59%) were male, and among 54 travellers with information available, 53 (98%) were unvaccinated. The most common reasons for travel included tourism (n = 120; 47%) and visiting friends or relatives (VFR; n = 72; 28%). About two-thirds of VFR travellers with hepatitis A (n = 50; 69%) were younger than 20 years old. Hepatitis A was acquired most frequently in South-Central Asia (n = 63; 25%) and sub-Saharan Africa (n = 61; 24%), but 16 travellers (6%) acquired hepatitis A in regions with low endemicity including Western Europe (n = 7; 3%), the Caribbean (n = 6; 2%) and North America (n = 3; 1%). Median duration from illness onset to GeoSentinel site presentation was ∼7 days (interquartile range: 4-14 days). Among 88 travellers with information available, 59% were hospitalized. Conclusions: Despite availability of highly effective vaccines, travellers still acquire hepatitis A, even when traveling to low-endemicity destinations. Providing pre-departure hepatitis A vaccine to susceptible travellers is crucial to reducing travel-associated hepatitis A and should be offered to all travellers as part of the pre-travel consultation, regardless of destination. © 2022 The Author(s). Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of International Society of Travel Medicine. All rights reserved.
Authors & Co-Authors
Angelo, Kristina M.
United States, Atlanta
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Hochberg, Natasha S.
United States, Boston
Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine
United States, Boston
School of Public Health
Barnett, Elizabeth D.
United States, Boston
Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine
Nicolini, Laura Ambra
Italy, Genoa
Irccs San Martino Polyclinic Hospital
Ásgeirsson, Hilmir
Sweden, Stockholm
Karolinska Institutet
Grobusch, Martín Peter
Netherlands, Amsterdam
Universiteit Van Amsterdam
Leder, Karin S.
Australia, Melbourne
Royal Melbourne Hospital
Salvador, Fernando
Spain, Barcelona
Hospital Universitari Vall D'hebron
Chen, Linhwei
United States, Cambridge
Mount Auburn Hospital
United States, Boston
Massachusetts General Hospital
Odolini, Silvia
Italy, Brescia
Spedali Civili Di Brescia
Díaz-Menéndez, Marta
Spain, Madrid
Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Del Hospital Universitario la Paz
Gobbi, Federico Giovanni
Italy, Verona
Ospedale Sacro Cuore Don Calabria
Connor, Bradley A.
United States, New York
Weill Cornell Medicine
Libman, Michael D.
Canada, Montreal
Centre Universitaire de Santé Mcgill
Hamer, Davidson Howes
United States, Boston
Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine
United States, Boston
School of Public Health
Statistics
Citations: 3
Authors: 15
Affiliations: 16
Identifiers
Doi:
10.1093/jtm/taac013
ISSN:
11951982
Research Areas
Health System And Policy
Infectious Diseases
Participants Gender
Male