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DATE: 08/19/2025 REFERENCE: DGS-URGENT N°2025_20
TITLE: HEALTH RECOMMENDATIONS IN THE CONTEXT OF THE RECRUDESCENCE OF CASES
OF HEPATITIS A VIRUS INFECTION IN THE DEPARTMENT OF RHONE, AUVERGNERHONE-ALPES
...
Geographic area ☐National ☒Territorial
Region Department
Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes (ARA) Rhône (69)
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Since the beginning of 2025, an increase in the number of acute hepatitis A virus (HAV) infections has been observed in the Rhône department compared to previous years: 73 cases reported between January 1 and July 31, 2025, compared to 16 cases during the same period in 2024 and 2023, representing an increase of 356%.
The increase in the number of cases in the Rhône region has been even more evident since the beginning of July 2025, with 57 reported cases (34 cases in July and 23 cases between August 1 and 13). The cases are adults, the majority under the age of 65 (no pediatric cases at this stage).
The spatial distribution of cases recorded in 2025 in the Rhône region shows that they are predominantly located in the city of Lyon, and more specifically in the 7th arrondissement. The characteristics of the cases (average age, symptoms, hospitalization) and the proportion of cases with identified risky exposure are no different from those in previous years. At this stage, no hypothesis has been identified to explain the resurgence. Investigations are ongoing. Although the incidence of this disease is increasing overall in Europe after a sharp decline since the COVID-19 pandemic, the increase in the number of cases in the department, particularly in the 7th arrondissement of Lyon, suggests that the virus is currently circulating very actively there and could increase in the coming weeks.
Since the virus is present in the feces of infected individuals, the disease is transmitted via contaminated hands or food. It frequently goes unnoticed, particularly in children. It can manifest itself through fever, abdominal pain, nausea, loss of appetite, weakness, and jaundice. In the majority of cases, acute hepatitis A resolves spontaneously without sequelae. Severe forms, which are rarer, occur mainly in adults, with the risk of severity and mortality increasing with age and in the presence of liver comorbidities. We therefore encourage you to be vigilant when dealing with patients presenting with compatible symptoms, even without any obvious evidence of exposure, and to request liver function tests and serology.
...
https://sante.gouv.fr/IMG/pdf/dgs-urgent_no2025-20_hepatite_a_ara-rhone.pdf
DATE: 08/19/2025 REFERENCE: DGS-URGENT N°2025_20
TITLE: HEALTH RECOMMENDATIONS IN THE CONTEXT OF THE RECRUDESCENCE OF CASES
OF HEPATITIS A VIRUS INFECTION IN THE DEPARTMENT OF RHONE, AUVERGNERHONE-ALPES
...
Geographic area ☐National ☒Territorial
Region Department
Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes (ARA) Rhône (69)
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Since the beginning of 2025, an increase in the number of acute hepatitis A virus (HAV) infections has been observed in the Rhône department compared to previous years: 73 cases reported between January 1 and July 31, 2025, compared to 16 cases during the same period in 2024 and 2023, representing an increase of 356%.
The increase in the number of cases in the Rhône region has been even more evident since the beginning of July 2025, with 57 reported cases (34 cases in July and 23 cases between August 1 and 13). The cases are adults, the majority under the age of 65 (no pediatric cases at this stage).
The spatial distribution of cases recorded in 2025 in the Rhône region shows that they are predominantly located in the city of Lyon, and more specifically in the 7th arrondissement. The characteristics of the cases (average age, symptoms, hospitalization) and the proportion of cases with identified risky exposure are no different from those in previous years. At this stage, no hypothesis has been identified to explain the resurgence. Investigations are ongoing. Although the incidence of this disease is increasing overall in Europe after a sharp decline since the COVID-19 pandemic, the increase in the number of cases in the department, particularly in the 7th arrondissement of Lyon, suggests that the virus is currently circulating very actively there and could increase in the coming weeks.
Since the virus is present in the feces of infected individuals, the disease is transmitted via contaminated hands or food. It frequently goes unnoticed, particularly in children. It can manifest itself through fever, abdominal pain, nausea, loss of appetite, weakness, and jaundice. In the majority of cases, acute hepatitis A resolves spontaneously without sequelae. Severe forms, which are rarer, occur mainly in adults, with the risk of severity and mortality increasing with age and in the presence of liver comorbidities. We therefore encourage you to be vigilant when dealing with patients presenting with compatible symptoms, even without any obvious evidence of exposure, and to request liver function tests and serology.
...
https://sante.gouv.fr/IMG/pdf/dgs-urgent_no2025-20_hepatite_a_ara-rhone.pdf