Original Article By Remix News Staff
Hungary is experiencing a hepatitis A epidemic, with nearly 1,600 cases registered so far this year, 15 times the annual average for 2019-2023.
Hepatitis caused by the virus is rare in developed countries, with 2014 being the last year a comparable wave occurred in Hungary, according to 24.hu.
Hungary’s Public Health and Pharmacy (NNGYK) says that by the beginning of November 2025, some 1,600 cases of hepatitis A had been reported for the year.
For comparison, the annual average for the period 2019–2023 was 102. The authority last gave a situation assessment in March and then in June.
According to the NNGYK at the time, the number of reported cases in the first five months of 2025 was seven times higher than in the same period of the previous year. The geographical distribution is uneven: in addition to Budapest, the most infections were registered in Pest, Fejér, and Komárom-Esztergom counties, but reports came from all regions of the country.
The age groups between 3 and 59 years were affected by the virus in almost the same proportion.
Experts say many affected people are asymptomatic to the virus, while others may experience fatigue, weakness, nausea, diarrhea, lower abdominal pain, and other symptoms.
The infection can be prevented by vaccination, while hand hygiene is also important, especially for those who are not vaccinated, because the pathogen is mostly spread through food or drinking water contaminated with feces.
Infected people can also transmit the virus through close contact, and less commonly through blood or sexual contact.
Hepatitis A is usually mild, with symptoms resolving within weeks, although a more severe, long-lasting form may occur. Unlike other types of hepatitis, chronic liver disease does not develop.
Remix News just reported on Poland issuing a travel warning about going to the Czech Republic due to a Hepatitis A outbreak there that has seen cases quadruple. No similar warning has gone out for Hungary.
Back in June, the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) issued a multi-country warning for Hep A. “Between January and May 2025, Austria, Czechia, Hungary, and Slovakia reported a higher-than-expected number of hepatitis A virus (HAV) subgenotype IB cases,” the agency site wrote. It added, “This rise in HAV infections is primarily affecting adults experiencing homelessness, individuals who use or inject drugs, and those living in poor sanitary conditions. Additionally, cases have been reported among members of the Roma communities in both Czechia and Slovakia.”
Dr. István Kiss, director of the Institute of Medical Public Health at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Pécs, noted the ease with which the disease can spread from one area to another. The main triggers for Hep A, he said, are poor hygienic conditions and unsafe drinking water, and the introduction by a traveler from a developing country.
He emphasized that similar outbreaks appear from time to time, and in the absence of proper hygiene, an infected person can pass the virus on to up to 8 to 10 people, who then spread it further.
However, Dr. Kiss noted that there is no need to worry about a nationwide, widespread epidemic, because cases are typically concentrated in a few, well-defined areas, and the necessary tools are available to curb the spread.
Be the first to comment