Epidemiological Transition and Strategies for the Control of Hepatitis A in Serbia
Background: Improvements in socioeconomic and hygienic conditions during the past decades led to declining hepatitis A (HA) seroprevalence in many countries. Aiming at informing HA vaccination policy, we assessed current epidemiological trends in Serbia by analyzing surveillance data for 2002–2021....
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| Format: | Article |
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MDPI AG
2023-03-01
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| Series: | Viruses |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/15/3/753 |
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| author | Snežana Medić Cleo Anastassopoulou Tatjana Pustahija Vladimir Petrović Nataša Dragnić Fotini Boufidou Athanasios Tsakris Vladan Šaponjić |
| author_facet | Snežana Medić Cleo Anastassopoulou Tatjana Pustahija Vladimir Petrović Nataša Dragnić Fotini Boufidou Athanasios Tsakris Vladan Šaponjić |
| author_sort | Snežana Medić |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: Improvements in socioeconomic and hygienic conditions during the past decades led to declining hepatitis A (HA) seroprevalence in many countries. Aiming at informing HA vaccination policy, we assessed current epidemiological trends in Serbia by analyzing surveillance data for 2002–2021. Methods: Data on cases and outbreaks were obtained from the Serbian national surveillance database and descriptively analyzed. HA incidence was calculated in relation to time, patients’ residence, and demographics. Results: Overall, 13,679 HA cases and 419 outbreaks were recorded with the highest incidence in the southeast. Downward HA trends were observed, while infant mortality was halved, and gross domestic product based on purchasing power parity (GDP PP) per capita, tripled. The average incidence dropped from 14.8 (95% CI 14.4–15.2)/100,000) in 2002–2006 to 1 (95% CI 0.9–1.1)/100,000)/100,000 in 2017–2021, while the number of outbreaks decreased (from 174 to 14). Sporadic cases and family clusters living in poor sanitary conditions occurred in recent years. The contact route of transmission was dominant (410/419, 97.9%). The highest average age-specific HA incidence shifted from 5–9 years in 2002–2006 to 10–19 years in 2017–2021.Serbia is transitioning towards very low HA endemicity. Enhanced surveillance and vaccination of high-risk groups are recommended as future public health priorities. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T05:46:17Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-ef9014ecc0e3459589f1f0fa888017d9 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1999-4915 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T05:46:17Z |
| publishDate | 2023-03-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Viruses |
| spelling | doaj.art-ef9014ecc0e3459589f1f0fa888017d92023-11-17T14:23:52ZengMDPI AGViruses1999-49152023-03-0115375310.3390/v15030753Epidemiological Transition and Strategies for the Control of Hepatitis A in SerbiaSnežana Medić0Cleo Anastassopoulou1Tatjana Pustahija2Vladimir Petrović3Nataša Dragnić4Fotini Boufidou5Athanasios Tsakris6Vladan Šaponjić7Department of Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Novi Sad, Hajduk Veljkova 3, 21000 Novi Sad, SerbiaDepartment of Microbiology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, GreeceDepartment of Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Novi Sad, Hajduk Veljkova 3, 21000 Novi Sad, SerbiaDepartment of Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Novi Sad, Hajduk Veljkova 3, 21000 Novi Sad, SerbiaDepartment of Social Medicine and Health Statistics with Informatics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Novi Sad, Hajduk Veljkova 3, 21000 Novi Sad, SerbiaNeurochemistry and Biological Markers Unit, 1st Department of Neurology, Eginition Hospital, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11528 Athens, GreeceDepartment of Microbiology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, GreeceInstitute of Public Health of Serbia, “Dr Milan Jovanović Batut”, Belgrade, Dr Subotića 5, 11000 Belgrade, SerbiaBackground: Improvements in socioeconomic and hygienic conditions during the past decades led to declining hepatitis A (HA) seroprevalence in many countries. Aiming at informing HA vaccination policy, we assessed current epidemiological trends in Serbia by analyzing surveillance data for 2002–2021. Methods: Data on cases and outbreaks were obtained from the Serbian national surveillance database and descriptively analyzed. HA incidence was calculated in relation to time, patients’ residence, and demographics. Results: Overall, 13,679 HA cases and 419 outbreaks were recorded with the highest incidence in the southeast. Downward HA trends were observed, while infant mortality was halved, and gross domestic product based on purchasing power parity (GDP PP) per capita, tripled. The average incidence dropped from 14.8 (95% CI 14.4–15.2)/100,000) in 2002–2006 to 1 (95% CI 0.9–1.1)/100,000)/100,000 in 2017–2021, while the number of outbreaks decreased (from 174 to 14). Sporadic cases and family clusters living in poor sanitary conditions occurred in recent years. The contact route of transmission was dominant (410/419, 97.9%). The highest average age-specific HA incidence shifted from 5–9 years in 2002–2006 to 10–19 years in 2017–2021.Serbia is transitioning towards very low HA endemicity. Enhanced surveillance and vaccination of high-risk groups are recommended as future public health priorities.https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/15/3/753HAVhepatitis Aepidemiologyoutbreakspublic healthvaccine |
| spellingShingle | Snežana Medić Cleo Anastassopoulou Tatjana Pustahija Vladimir Petrović Nataša Dragnić Fotini Boufidou Athanasios Tsakris Vladan Šaponjić Epidemiological Transition and Strategies for the Control of Hepatitis A in Serbia Viruses HAV hepatitis A epidemiology outbreaks public health vaccine |
| title | Epidemiological Transition and Strategies for the Control of Hepatitis A in Serbia |
| title_full | Epidemiological Transition and Strategies for the Control of Hepatitis A in Serbia |
| title_fullStr | Epidemiological Transition and Strategies for the Control of Hepatitis A in Serbia |
| title_full_unstemmed | Epidemiological Transition and Strategies for the Control of Hepatitis A in Serbia |
| title_short | Epidemiological Transition and Strategies for the Control of Hepatitis A in Serbia |
| title_sort | epidemiological transition and strategies for the control of hepatitis a in serbia |
| topic | HAV hepatitis A epidemiology outbreaks public health vaccine |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/15/3/753 |
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