Czech Republic - Hepatitis A outbreak 2025-2026

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A mysterious hepatitis A epidemic hits the Czech Republic, and Prague in particular.

10/15/2025

One of the most significant hepatitis A epidemics in the last 35 years is currently raging in the Czech Republic, particularly in Prague, where more than 800 cases have already been recorded and ten people have died since the beginning of the year.

According to data from the National Institute of Health (SZÚ), the current epidemic of viral hepatitis A is the second most serious since 1989. The number of cases recorded in 1996 (2,083 for the whole year) was even higher than that recorded this year: between the beginning of January and October 5, 1,842 cases were reported to the health authorities across the country, which is also about five times more than in 2024 during the first nine months of the year.

Although the Czech Republic, like other industrialized countries, is a region of low endemicity, it is in Prague where the circulation of this acute infectious liver disease, which is also the most widespread viral hepatitis in the world, is greatest, as the mayor of the capital, Bohuslav Svoboda, explained at the end of September:

"This is a local epidemic. Since the beginning of the year, nearly 700 cases have been reported. During the last week (of September), 75 people contracted the disease. By comparison, in 2024, only 47 cases were recorded for the entire year. The situation could stabilize if the vaccination rate increases and if preventive measures are strictly observed, namely regular handwashing with warm water and soap while using a disinfectant."

Since this warning, the numbers have continued to rise. On Tuesday, October 14, the city's hygiene department reported on the social network X that ten people had died in Prague since the beginning of the year after contracting hepatitis A.

A total of 826 cases have been reported in the capital (only six of them as recently as January, compared to 207 in September), including nearly 150 among children. Last year, two people died from this infectious disease, also sometimes called "dirty hands disease," across the Czech Republic, compared to twenty-one already this year, including nineteen men.

Nearly half of these victims were aged 50 to 69. Among the various health complications already suffered by these deceased people, the SZÚ cites acute liver failure, chronic kidney disease, another type of chronic jaundice, inflammation of the pancreas, and liver cirrhosis. In several cases, they were also homeless and suffering from alcoholism.

However, Petr Husa, head of the infectious diseases department at the University Hospital in Brno, the capital of Moravia, told Czech Radio on Tuesday that there was no need to be overly concerned about the outbreak:

“The current situation is nothing extraordinary. From time to time, we face local outbreaks of hepatitis A. In Brno, for example, and throughout the region, we experienced an outbreak between 2016 and 2017 that required the hospitalization of more than 500 people. Our population is very vulnerable to this type of hepatitis. Almost no one has been infected, so no one has antibodies, and the vaccination rate against hepatitis A is low. This means that if a serious epidemiological focus develops, which is currently happening mainly among people with lower levels of hygiene, the infection can then spread to the majority population.”

In any case, while the Prague 1 district town hall has announced that it wants to vaccinate teachers, administrative employees and social workers against hepatitis A and B free of charge, since the end of September, the Prague public transport company, which serves some three million passengers daily, has stepped up cleaning of its vehicles and its busiest metro stations.

While the complete cleaning of, say, a tram - inside and out - requires about two hours of work for a team of three, as a Czech Radio report explained this Wednesday morning, the operation has now become very regular, with methods identical to those used during the Covid-19 pandemic. So if you're passing through Prague, don't be afraid to use public transport...

Author:
Guillaume Narguet​

https://francais.radio.cz/une-myste...e-a-frappe-la-tchequie-et-prague-tout-8865900
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Hepatitis A: 61 new cases in Prague in one week

10/21/2025

Over the past week, doctors reported 61 new cases of hepatitis A in Prague, the highest number reported in the past three years, according to the National Institute of Health. Since the beginning of the year, 887 cases have been recorded, including 157 children, according to the Czech capital's health department.

The Ministry of Health acknowledged that due to a significant increase in interest in vaccination, there may be a local and temporary shortage of vaccines, particularly for children. According to the spokesperson, exceptional deliveries have already been made and more are expected.

Author:
Anna Kubišta​


https://francais.radio.cz/hepatite-a-61-nouveaux-cas-a-prague-en-une-seule-semaine-8866424

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The hepatitis A epidemic in Prague is not abating, there are 25 times more patients than last year

October 27, 2025 3:22 PM

There are twenty-five times more people with hepatitis A in the capital than last year for the whole year. This is the result of a comparison of information from the State Institute of Public Health and data currently published by the Hygiene Station of the Capital City of Prague. Doctors in the metropolis have already detected 939 infected people since the beginning of this year, 166 of them children.

Eleven people in Prague have succumbed to hepatitis A. Every week, dozens of new infected people are added to the capital.

According to hygienists, the course of the disease is serious. "With the growing number of cases of hepatitis A, we are increasingly encountering very serious complications in patients, especially in people with chronic liver disease, immune disorders or elderly patients," said Hynek Bartoš, head of the Department of Infectious Diseases at the Bulovka University Hospital and the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Faculty of Medicine at Charles University. Prague cases account for roughly 40 percent of the national number of patients.

Symptoms of hepatitis A initially resemble the flu, with fever, loss of appetite, nausea, pain under the right rib cage, and abdominal pain. Later, the disease manifests itself with yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes typical of liver inflammation, as well as dark urine, light-colored stools, and itching of the skin.

Even in the case of a relatively mild course of the disease, the patient will spend at least a week in the hospital's infectious disease ward, weeks on sick leave, and months without sports or any major physical exertion, according to Bartoš. The disease often spreads in socially excluded localities or among the homeless and drug addicts.

"We continue to work intensively and appeal to the public to practice hand hygiene and consider vaccination," the hygienists said. Due to the recent high interest in vaccination, in some places there are not enough vaccines for all interested parties. According to an earlier statement by the State Institute for Drug Control, deliveries of extraordinary doses of the vaccine are expected.

People can ask their GP or visit vaccination centres for vaccination. Two doses of the hepatitis A vaccine are required. However, it is not covered by public health insurance and costs 1,700 crowns per dose. Most insurance companies contribute around a hundred crowns.

According to hygienists, people should pay attention to increased hygiene, with emphasis on washing and disinfecting hands after using the toilet and before eating.

https://www.prazskypatriot.cz/epide...-nepolevuje-nemocnych-je-25krat-vic-nez-loni/

 

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An epidemic is looming. 28 people have already died from hepatitis A. Last year, two people died

Health
4. 11. 2025 12:22

28 people have died of hepatitis A in the Czech Republic this year, seven of them since the beginning of October. The State Health Institute (SZÚ) announced this on Tuesday. Last year, there were two deaths in the entire year. The number of patients is roughly four times higher than last year, reaching 2,375 by November 2.

Among the deceased are 25 men and three women. "Most of the deaths occurred in people with risky behavior and other chronic liver disease," the SZÚ said. It identifies drug users, the homeless or prisoners as risk groups. People often develop chronic liver disease, such as cirrhosis, due to excessive alcohol consumption.

In Prague, where there are the most cases, the disease is spreading beyond these groups, and hygienists have also recorded numerous cases in schools.

https://www.tyden.cz/epidemie-hrozi-na-zloutenku-typu-a-uz-umrelo-28-lidi-loni-za-cely-rok-dva

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28 people in the Czech Republic have already died of jaundice this year. Last year there were only two

This year, 28 people have died of hepatitis A in the Czech Republic, seven of whom have died since the beginning of October. The State Health Institute (SZÚ) told ČTK on Tuesday. Last year, there were two deaths for the whole year. The number of patients is roughly four times higher than last year, reaching 2,375 by November 2. 1,862 people ended up in hospital infectious disease departments, and another 136 in other healthcare facilities. Almost 300 people were not hospitalized, sometimes due to hospital capacity reasons, according to the SZÚ.

Prague 11:40 4. 11. 2025 (Updated: 12:17 4/11/2025)

Among the deceased are 25 men and three women. 11 of them are from Prague, but there were victims in most other regions as well. "Most of the deaths occurred in people with risky behavior and other chronic liver disease," said the SZÚ. It identifies drug users, the homeless or prisoners as risk groups. People often have chronic liver disease, such as cirrhosis, due to excessive alcohol consumption.

According to the SZÚ, people from these groups make up less than a fifth of those infected. In Prague, where more than 1,000 people are infected, the disease is also spreading outside these groups, and hygienists have also recorded numerous cases in schools. "Transmission of hepatitis is also possible through contaminated objects, such as door handles or handles in means of transport, in short, places and objects frequently touched by people on which the virus sticks," the institute said. As a prevention, it recommends, in particular, thorough hand washing.

According to statistics, the most sick people are in their thirties and forties. 185 children aged five to nine and 11 babies under one year are also being treated. Experts examined the occurrence of antibodies against viral hepatitis A (VHA) in 1984, 1996 and 2001. It turned out that only those who had experienced high numbers of hepatitis A cases in the past, i.e. mostly people over 65, had sufficient antibodies.

"Given that the Czech Republic has been among the countries with a relatively low incidence of HAV in recent decades, a large part of the population is susceptible to the disease. However, the number of reported cases, also due to the asymptomatic course of HAV, probably does not reflect the real situation," said the SZÚ.

https://www.irozhlas.cz/zivotni-sty...enku-minuly-rok-byli-pouze-dva_2511041140_raf

 

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Jaundice is out of control, Prague is the worst affected. Contacts will be vaccinated immediately

03. 12. 2025
Jakub Nemec

The hepatitis epidemic is growing and the state is trying to slow it down. Close contacts of infected people will no longer have to wait for antibody tests - doctors will vaccinate them straight away. There are no plans to restrict the operation of schools or Christmas markets yet.

Close contacts of a person infected with hepatitis A are routinely ordered to undergo antibody testing, followed by post-exposure vaccination if necessary, within 14 days of contact with the infected person. However, this is changing due to the increasing number of infections in the current epidemic.

"We agreed at the ministry yesterday (Monday, editor's note) that during the epidemic, such a person would not be examined before vaccination, but would be vaccinated straight away," said Kateřina Fabiánová, an epidemiologist at the State Institute of Health (SZÚ) at a seminar of the Czech Medical Chamber dedicated to hepatitis on Tuesday.

"We will immediately vaccinate the patient's close contacts. If they have antibodies, nothing will happen, the vaccine will not harm them," she explained. She added that medical supervision for people vaccinated in this way can end 28 days after vaccination, when antibodies will definitely be formed. This post-exposure vaccination is fully covered by public health insurance, unlike the usual preventive vaccination against hepatitis A.

You can't force someone to get vaccinated.

The vaccinated person must maintain strict personal hygiene for the aforementioned 28 days and must not perform certain professional (for example, in the food industry) and leisure activities - for example, visiting swimming pools, saunas or gyms, participating in children's camps, etc.

But the solution is lacking for homeless people, a group that significantly contributes to the spread of the disease. Their willingness to be vaccinated is rather lukewarm. "What I know from the field is that about half of them agree. And if they don't agree, you can't force them," Fabiánová described.

As Matyáš Fošum, director of the Public Health Protection Department of the Ministry of Health, explained to Zdravotnický deník, the meeting at which the shortened post-exposure vaccination was adopted was not primarily concerned with solving the current epidemiological situation.

"It was a settlement of comments from professional medical societies on the draft methodological guide on how to generally work with hepatitis in the Czech Republic. This material has been in the works for a year. This topic also came up," explained Fošum.

"About the approved consensus, also accepted by the chief hygienist, that in connection with this epidemiological situation, the contact will not be tested for antibodies and we will vaccinate directly. We will now send a letter to the professional society," Fošum specified.

And he assured that thanks to increased supplies, there will be enough hepatitis A vaccines in clinics within a matter of days. Other measures, for example in schools and kindergartens or at Christmas markets, are not yet planned.

Dirty hands disease

Doctors have registered 2,880 cases of hepatitis A this year, which is twenty times more than last year and the most since 1984. 31 people have already died this year, compared to two last year, according to information from the SZÚ. In November, 505 new diagnoses were added. The most infected, more than 40% of the total number, are in Prague. In the last week, almost 50 more people have been infected in the capital.

According to Fabiánová, the current epidemic, unlike some past ones, is not related to contaminated food; it is a fecal-oral infection, i.e. a "disease of dirty hands."

Roughly a fifth of the sick are people with risky behavior, such as drug users, alcoholics or the homeless. "In recent weeks, we have seen an increase in the number of cases, especially in Prague, where the epidemic has spread beyond the community of people at risk," Fabiánová described.

More than three-quarters of those infected had to be hospitalized in infectious disease wards. Mandatory isolation of the patient usually means 6 to 7 days in the hospital, and their contacts are also being monitored.

The current epidemic began about two years ago and is spreading not only in the Czech Republic, but also in Slovakia, Hungary, and Austria.

Hepatitis A is transmitted through infected stool or through poorly washed hands. People can also become infected from objects that an infected person has touched, such as handles on public transport, doorknobs, railings or shopping carts. Prevention includes washing hands with soap, especially before eating or after using the toilet, and using an antiviral disinfectant.

https://www.zdravotnickydenik.cz/2025/12/zloutenka-kontakty-se-budou-rovnou-ockovat/

 

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Source: https://english.radio.cz/hepatitis-a-outbreak-czechia-risks-precautions-and-outlooks-8870730


Hepatitis A outbreak in Czechia: the risks, the precautions and the outlooks
12/03/2025​

The hepatitis A outbreak in Czechia is far from abating. Doctors have recorded close to 3,000 cases of the highly infectious disease this year, which is twenty times more than last year and the highest figure in 30 years. How serious is the situation, what is being done and what are the outlooks?

Hepatitis A started spreading in the Czech Republic in the spring and summer of this year when the number of cases saw a significant increase. With the arrival of autumn doctors were ringing alarm bells and urging broad vaccination among high-risk groups. By the end of November, the National Institute of Public Health had recorded 2,880 cases of hepatitis A, the highest incidence in thirty years. Thirty-one people succumbed to the disease, compared to just two last year.

The city of Prague is the worst affected –registering more than 40 percent of all infections – and nearly 50 new cases in the past week alone. Chief Public Health Officer Barbora Macková says the statistics give reason for concern.

“What’s different compared to the situation, say, fourteen days or a month ago is that the disease is now spreading to other regions of the Czech Republic as well, even if only gradually. We are seeing it in Moravia-Silesia, but the highest incidence is still in Prague and the Central Bohemian Region.”​...

 

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/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brno
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The hepatitis epidemic in southern Moravia continues to grow, with Brno reporting the most cases

Today, 4:00 PM Discuss on FB
Authors Alice Rosier

The hepatitis A epidemic in the South Moravian Region continues to gain momentum. By the end of November, hygienists had already registered fifty-five new cases, eleven more than in October. The worst situation is in Brno and the surrounding area, where hospitals are currently caring for dozens of patients.

The South Moravian Region is facing a significant increase in cases of hepatitis A. At the end of November, health officials recorded fifty-five patients in the region, which is eleven more than in the previous month. Most of the infected people come from Brno and its surroundings. Since the beginning of the year, 142 people have been infected with the virus there. Last year, there were only nine in the whole of South Moravia for the whole year.

"We are implementing extensive anti-epidemic measures for each case. So far, we have done so for more than 500 people who were in direct contact with the sick and whose illness was prevented," said Renata Ciupek, director of the anti-epidemic department of the regional hygiene station . According to the State Institute of Public Health, the increase mainly concerns homeless people and university students.

The situation at the Brno University Hospital remains tense. According to spokesman Pavel Žára, the number of hospitalized patients is not changing significantly, but it is not decreasing either. " We still have about 15 to 17 patients with jaundice, which is certainly a higher number," he added.
...

https://brnenska.drbna.cz/zpravy/zd...-nadale-sili-nejvic-nemocnych-hlasi-brno.html

 

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Jaundice is increasing in South Moravia: The region reports a third of all cases in the Czech Republic

3. 3. 2026 07:32

The situation with jaundice in the South Moravian Region is developing extremely unfavourably this year. Hygienists recorded 115 infected people in January and another 87 in February, which represents almost a third of all cases in the Czech Republic, hygienists reported on the website. According to them, despite the measures taken, the epidemic is not slowing down significantly and the infection is spreading from risk groups to schools and work groups.

42 people died from the disease in the Czech Republic from January 2025 to February 2026, six of them in South Moravia.

Epidemic without significant improvement

The hepatitis A epidemic began to spread in the country last year. In the South Moravian Region, cases increased rapidly in the autumn, but the highest number in one month was in January this year. "The situation has not improved significantly despite all the measures. The most cases are in Brno," said Renata Ciupek, director of the anti-epidemic department.

Most of the sick are middle-aged. A quarter of the cases concern homeless and socially vulnerable people with numerous mutual contacts and risky habits. "From the circle of adults, often staying on the street or in hostels, the infection is gradually spreading to the majority population, including school and work groups," said the director. From last September to this February, it has been registered in seven kindergartens, 20 elementary schools and 11 secondary schools. "It is a big problem especially when school kitchen staff get sick," she added.

Dozens of risky contacts

According to her, each case involves up to several dozen people in high-risk contact, for whom hygiene station workers take timely measures to prevent their illness.
Infectious hepatitis is an acute viral disease affecting the liver tissue. It is spread by the fecal-oral route. Prevention of transmission includes proper hand washing after using the toilet, before each meal or drink, and after returning home from the outdoors. It is not advisable to drink from the same bottle or share a cigarette. Eating on the street is also risky if you cannot wash your hands beforehand.

Respiratory infections remain a problem

The South Moravian Region also continues to struggle with acute respiratory infections. Last week, there were 1,288 sick people per 100,000 inhabitants. Hygienists noted an increase in morbidity, especially among schoolchildren. Higher morbidity than the regional average is in the Hodonín region. Flu activity is slowly decreasing, non-influenza viral infections predominate. Healthcare facilities in the region are responding to the situation and are gradually lifting restrictions on visits.
...
https://www.tyden.cz/zloutenka-na-jizni-morave-sili-kraj-hlasi-tretinu-vsech-pripadu-v-cesku

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See also (in Czech language):

​EPIDEMIC OF HEPATITIS type A in the South Moravian Region

Anti-epidemic Department
02.03.2026​

https://www.khsbrno.cz/admin/upload/aktuality/622_1651_aktuality.pdf


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The hepatitis A epidemic is still ongoing. The situation is worst in Brno

TN.CZ EDITORIAL TEAM
15. 5. 2026, 18:09

Health officials in the Czech Republic continue to deal with the hepatitis A epidemic. Hundreds of new cases have been recorded since the beginning of the year. The South Moravian Region and Prague have been the most infected for a long time. On the other hand, the Hradec Králové or Pardubice Regions, for example, are reporting only a few cases.

The disease of dirty hands continues to keep hygienists busy. The hepatitis A epidemic has been going on since last year and in some regions the number of cases is still increasing. "In the Czech Republic, we have reported a total of 1,078 cases of hepatitis A since the beginning of the year. Of these, 653 were in men and 425 in women," said Štěpánka Čechová, spokeswoman for the State Institute of Public Health (SZÚ).

Brno and the South Moravian Region are the worst off. "We currently have nine patients with hepatitis A hospitalized at the Clinic of Infectious Diseases. This is an increase compared to the previous two weeks," revealed Petr Husa, head of the Clinic of Infectious Diseases at the Brno University Hospital.

"We record the most infections in the South Moravian Region, 335, followed by Prague, 264. Six people have already died in connection with hepatitis A," added Čechová.

Despite the high numbers, the situation in Prague is starting to improve. "This year, I would say the situation has stabilized. Since the beginning of the year, the number of infected people has been decreasing. In April, there were 38 patients," said Petra Batók, a spokeswoman for the Hygiene Station of the Capital City of Prague.

The third highest number of infected people is reported by the Moravian-Silesian Region. In the Ostrava region, hygienists have registered approximately 103 cases of jaundice since the beginning of the year. The disease spreads mainly among adults. The fewest cases of jaundice were recorded by hygienists in the Hradec Králové, Olomouc and Pardubice regions.

According to doctors, jaundice has a longer incubation period. Patients who are now experiencing the first symptoms could have been infected two months ago. "In the beginning, they usually have fevers, digestive problems, and then adult patients turn yellow more often," noted Husa. Doctors and hygienists therefore appeal for careful hand washing. Vaccination is also a form of prevention.

jal, TN.cz, Proschová

https://tn.nova.cz/zpravodajstvi/cl...-stale-nepolevuje-nejhorsi-je-situace-v-brne​

 

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Hepatitis cases are declining, but it has already killed 6 people this year. 2 regions are still in the risk zone

02. 06. 2026

The number of reported cases of hepatitis A continues to decline. In May, health workers recorded 105 cases of infection, which is 74 fewer than in April. The number of patients decreased in May in all regions except Olomouc and Zlín . The State Health Institute (SZÚ) reported this on Tuesday . Doctors have detected 1,183 cases of hepatitis A in the Czech Republic this year, six people have died.

"In May, 20 to 36 cases were reported per week, which is less compared to April, when 33 to 48 cases were recorded per week," the institute said. The South Moravian Region reported the most cases since the beginning of this year, where 368 people fell ill with jaundice, and Prague, where health workers recorded 283 patients. The fewest infected were in the Hradec Králové and Pardubice regions.

Jaundice cases occur across age groups, from children under one year of age to seniors. However, the highest incidence is in those aged 35 to 49, the SZÚ reported.

"Although the number of reported diseases has been gradually decreasing since the beginning of 2026, the risk of local outbreaks of infection still persists," the SZÚ said. The total morbidity this year will exceed the average values ​​from previous years.

Between 2018 and 2021, there were fewer than hundreds, then two years later, there were dozens. Last year's 3,255 cases were the highest number since the 1980s, with 36 people dying from the disease. According to experts' experience from previous hepatitis epidemics, it usually takes three years for the number of cases to increase and then decrease to normal levels.

Hepatitis A is transmitted through the feces of a sick or infected person and only a very small amount of virus particles is enough to cause infection. Symptoms of the disease include fatigue, fever, nausea and abdominal pain, the typical yellowing may not occur in all cases.

https://www.zdravotnickydenik.cz/2026/06/zloutenka-pocet-pripadu-klesa-dva-regiony-problem/