Epidemiological Aspects of Acute Viral Hepatitis a in Swedish travellers to Endemic Areas

Abstract

A decreased incidence of hepatitis A (HA) in Swedish travellers to the northern part of the Mediterranean area was observed after 1972, from 1/3000 travellers who did not receive gammaglobulin in the period 1970–72 to 1/14200 travellers between 1979 and 1981 and 1/20000 travellers in 1982. No such decrease in incidence was observed in travellers going to the southern part of the Mediterranean area. Differences in the incidences of HA in travellers to individual countries in southern Europe were also noticed. The risk of Swedish travellers to remote destinations, such as tropical Africa and Asia, contracting HA is still very high, being 1/150–100 travellers not receiving gammaglobulin. It was observed that years with high incidences of HA in travellers to certain destinations also saw increased incidences of HA in Sweden.