Rise of hepatitis A cases

Another source (regional public broadcaster in Saxony) gives more information:
https://www.mdr.de/nachrichten/sachsen/chemnitz/annaberg-aue-schwarzenberg/hepatitis-warnung-hygiene-wintersport-bozi-dar-100.html

"The Boží Dar ski resort on the border with Saxony is sounding the alarm: due to the rising number of hepatitis A cases, the winter sports resort is calling on its guests to practice strict hygiene. They should wash their hands frequently and thoroughly and use disinfectant. This is the authorities' response to the rapid rise in hepatitis A cases in Bohemia.

Corresponding hygiene instructions are displayed at petrol stations, stores and public toilets - also in German near the border.

The Saxon Ministry of Health announced that there is currently “no risk to the Saxon population from an infection epidemiology perspective”. The ministry went on to say: “The press releases from the Czech Republic refer to smear infections caused by people who live without a fixed abode or in poor hygienic conditions or who use drugs.”

The spread to the rest of the population in the Czech Republic is “probably mainly due to the low vaccination rates of the population there”. The authorities are assuming direct person-to-person transmission, with food or drinking water playing no role as transmission routes."

A Hepatitis A vaccine is pretty easy to get here - I got it at my local CVS. Needs a second shot in 6 months.

Also Hep A is on the CDC schedule for any age so almost universally covered by US health insurance.

I got the vaccine for this and Hep B for a missions trip to Guatemala. Since that time, I have read of people in the US occasionally getting it from a restaurant worker who had it.

Hep A is one of the most common food-borne illnesses in the US.

That is a huge spike in the number of Hep A infections. Get your Havrix or Vaqta vaccine if you haven’t already!

With the current funny ideas about vaccines, would expect more cases.

Another good reason to keep up with your vaccinations.

Update summary: infection numbers seems still rising and visitors of Christmas Markets shall avoid eating with fingers and shall clean hands regularly.

"Almost 3,000 cases of hepatitis A have been registered in Czechia this year—twenty times as many as in 2024. Thirty-two people have already died, mainly older men.

“We are in a phase of the epidemic where case numbers are still rising. We have not yet reached the peak,” warns Kateřina Fabiánová, an epidemiologist at the State Health Office.

Anyone who eats bratwurst, trdelník, or potato pancakes with cold fingers is giving the virus a good chance. “The virus survives for a long time on surfaces—and hands are a very good carrier,” says Fabiánová. She is concerned about January: “The incubation period is up to 50 days. I am curious to see what the numbers will be then.”

Milan Kubek, president of the Czech Medical Chamber, also sees this as an extraordinary situation. “This is the largest epidemic since 1979 – and we haven't reached the peak yet.” Many people have never come into contact with the virus and are therefore unvaccinated. “The best protection is clean hands.”

For tourists, the risks are the same as for locals. “Anyone who has been vaccinated or consistently follows hygiene rules has nothing to worry about,” says Fabiánová. The situation is comparable to Austria, where many cases are also being recorded."

Source in German language: https://www.tagesschau.de/ausland/weihnachtsmaerkte-prag-hepatitis-100.html

I just want to thank you for posting this. We will be in Prague in June, and because I read your information and then did some research, we chose to get vaccinated for HepA. I would not have known about this issue if you had not posted this.

Update as of Dec 16 2025:

"After weeks of rising numbers of hepatitis A patients in Czechia, the number of cases is now declining. In Prague, the [reported} number of people infected has fallen for the third week in a row.

In the last week of November, 48 people in the Czech capital contracted hepatitis A, compared to only 28 in the second week of December. In total, there were 1,303 cases of hepatitis A in the capital this year.

Although the infection is no longer spreading as rapidly in Prague, according to the authorities, the epidemic is not yet over. The Ministry of Health has therefore ordered that all persons who have had contact with hepatitis patients must be vaccinated. ...

"The procedure for people who have been in contact with patients with hepatitis A has changed. They are no longer tested for antibodies first, but are vaccinated immediately. The aim of this change is to speed up the protection of contacts and reduce the risk of further spread of the infection," said Petra Batók, spokesperson for the Prague Public Health Authority. She added that waiting for the antibody results meant a delay during which further infections could occur.

According to the State Health Office, 34 people died of hepatitis A in Czechia this year. In the previous year, there were only two cases. By the end of last week, health authorities had registered a total of 3,049 cases across the country."

Source: article in German language, translated with DeepL.com (free version)

I stop here updating this issue. Posting no more updates does not mean that the situation is finally cleared.