As many as 43 persons have been diagnosed with viral hepatitis A in January- October this year. According to the National Public Health Center, the number of cases rose six times compared with the corresponding period last year. Despite the prophylactic and response measures, the number of infected persons continues to increase.

Contacted by IPN, Doctor of Medicine Vladimir Guriev, who heads the Center’s Viral Hepatitis Laboratory, said that the number of people suffering from hepatitis A will continue to go up as such dynamics are recorded once in 8-10 years. The last time, such a trend was seen in 2003. Doctors anticipate that the number of cases of hepatitis will increase among children who didn’t develop immunity to this viral infection.

Vladimir Guriev also said that viral hepatitis A is transmitted mainly by fecal-oral ways, by dirty hands or contaminated objects. The polluted water in wells and ponds can also be a source of infection.

The persons who developed immunity to viral hepatitis never become infected. The risk group includes especially children younger than 10.

The number of cases of hepatitis A will increase in the near future as the water in wells in many settlements is highly polluted, while the sanitary-hygienic norms are not respected. Vladimir Guriev added that another cause is the poorly-developed infrastructure in villages, where children are not taught to wash their hands regularly.

Moldova does not have a vaccine against hepatitis A.