Trends of Hepatitis A Virus Infection in Poland: Assessing the Potential Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic and War in Ukraine
Hepatitis A virus (HAV) is the most common cause of acute viral hepatitis, which is preventable by vaccination. This study analyzed trends of HAV infections in Poland according to socio-demographic features in the years 2009–2022 and assessed the potential impact of the COVID-19 pandemic (2020–2023)...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2024-03-01
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| Series: | Viruses |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/16/3/469 |
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| author | Piotr Rzymski Dorota Zarębska-Michaluk Agnieszka Genowska Piotr Tyszko Birute Strukcinskiene Robert Flisiak |
| author_facet | Piotr Rzymski Dorota Zarębska-Michaluk Agnieszka Genowska Piotr Tyszko Birute Strukcinskiene Robert Flisiak |
| author_sort | Piotr Rzymski |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Hepatitis A virus (HAV) is the most common cause of acute viral hepatitis, which is preventable by vaccination. This study analyzed trends of HAV infections in Poland according to socio-demographic features in the years 2009–2022 and assessed the potential impact of the COVID-19 pandemic (2020–2023) and the migration of war refugees from Ukraine (since February 2022). In 2009–2022, 7115 new cases of HAV infection were diagnosed in Poland, especially among men (66.4%) and in urban areas (77.4%). Infections among men were most common at the age of 25–34 (median rate 0.43 per 10<sup>5</sup>) and in women aged 15–24 (median rate 0.39 per 10<sup>5</sup>). Analysis of the 14-year frequency of HAV infections exhibited three trends, regardless of gender, age, and residence. The infections revealed a downward trend in 2009–2014, increased significantly in 2014–2018, and decreased again after 2018. A particularly rapid increase in HAV infections occurred between March 2017 and February 2018 (median rate 0.79 per 10<sup>5</sup>). The high level of new infections persisted until the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, at which point it dropped significantly but did not reach the level recorded before March 2017. During the Omicron SARS-CoV-2 dominance period, the median rate of HAV infections was 0.053 per 10<sup>5</sup>, with a four-fold increase being observed from February 2022 (when the migration of war refugees from Ukraine began) to August 2022. The presented results can serve as a reference point for further observations in Central Europe. The HAV epidemiological situation is unlikely to escalate in Poland but requires further monitoring. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-24T17:45:40Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-fe9f0ce2c3cd4cb19fae399a8b3ec724 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1999-4915 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-24T17:45:40Z |
| publishDate | 2024-03-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Viruses |
| spelling | doaj.art-fe9f0ce2c3cd4cb19fae399a8b3ec7242024-03-27T14:07:59ZengMDPI AGViruses1999-49152024-03-0116346910.3390/v16030469Trends of Hepatitis A Virus Infection in Poland: Assessing the Potential Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic and War in UkrainePiotr Rzymski0Dorota Zarębska-Michaluk1Agnieszka Genowska2Piotr Tyszko3Birute Strukcinskiene4Robert Flisiak5Department of Environmental Medicine, Poznań University of Medical Sciences, 60-806 Poznań, PolandDepartment of Infectious Diseases and Allergology, Jan Kochanowski University, 25-317 Kielce, PolandDepartment of Public Health, Medical University of Bialystok, 15-295 Bialystok, PolandDepartment of Social Medicine and Public Health, Medical University of Warsaw, 02-091 Warsaw, PolandFaculty of Health Sciences, Klaipeda University, LT-92294 Klaipeda, LithuaniaDepartment of Infectious Diseases and Hepatology, Medical University of Bialystok, 15-540 Bialystok, PolandHepatitis A virus (HAV) is the most common cause of acute viral hepatitis, which is preventable by vaccination. This study analyzed trends of HAV infections in Poland according to socio-demographic features in the years 2009–2022 and assessed the potential impact of the COVID-19 pandemic (2020–2023) and the migration of war refugees from Ukraine (since February 2022). In 2009–2022, 7115 new cases of HAV infection were diagnosed in Poland, especially among men (66.4%) and in urban areas (77.4%). Infections among men were most common at the age of 25–34 (median rate 0.43 per 10<sup>5</sup>) and in women aged 15–24 (median rate 0.39 per 10<sup>5</sup>). Analysis of the 14-year frequency of HAV infections exhibited three trends, regardless of gender, age, and residence. The infections revealed a downward trend in 2009–2014, increased significantly in 2014–2018, and decreased again after 2018. A particularly rapid increase in HAV infections occurred between March 2017 and February 2018 (median rate 0.79 per 10<sup>5</sup>). The high level of new infections persisted until the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, at which point it dropped significantly but did not reach the level recorded before March 2017. During the Omicron SARS-CoV-2 dominance period, the median rate of HAV infections was 0.053 per 10<sup>5</sup>, with a four-fold increase being observed from February 2022 (when the migration of war refugees from Ukraine began) to August 2022. The presented results can serve as a reference point for further observations in Central Europe. The HAV epidemiological situation is unlikely to escalate in Poland but requires further monitoring.https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/16/3/469viral hepatitisepidemiologyCOVID-19 pandemicwar refugeesCentral Europe |
| spellingShingle | Piotr Rzymski Dorota Zarębska-Michaluk Agnieszka Genowska Piotr Tyszko Birute Strukcinskiene Robert Flisiak Trends of Hepatitis A Virus Infection in Poland: Assessing the Potential Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic and War in Ukraine Viruses viral hepatitis epidemiology COVID-19 pandemic war refugees Central Europe |
| title | Trends of Hepatitis A Virus Infection in Poland: Assessing the Potential Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic and War in Ukraine |
| title_full | Trends of Hepatitis A Virus Infection in Poland: Assessing the Potential Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic and War in Ukraine |
| title_fullStr | Trends of Hepatitis A Virus Infection in Poland: Assessing the Potential Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic and War in Ukraine |
| title_full_unstemmed | Trends of Hepatitis A Virus Infection in Poland: Assessing the Potential Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic and War in Ukraine |
| title_short | Trends of Hepatitis A Virus Infection in Poland: Assessing the Potential Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic and War in Ukraine |
| title_sort | trends of hepatitis a virus infection in poland assessing the potential impact of the covid 19 pandemic and war in ukraine |
| topic | viral hepatitis epidemiology COVID-19 pandemic war refugees Central Europe |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/16/3/469 |
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