Lectures and seminars PhD student seminar: Hepatitis A notifications in the EU/EEA from 2010 to 2019: what can we learn from case reporting to the European Surveillance System?
Title: Hepatitis A notifications in the EU/EEA from 2010 to 2019: what can we learn from case reporting to the European Surveillance System?
Speaker: Ettore Severi
Abstract
Background: On annual basis, European Union/ European Economic Area (EU/EEA) countries report hepatitis A (HepA) notifications to The European Surveillance System (TESSy).
Aim: We aimed at describing HepA notifications and discuss the HepA epidemiology in the EU/EEA from 2010 to 2019.
Methods: We described demographic, clinical, diagnostic and mode of transmission information from TESSy. Through time series analysis and grouping based on countries’ hepatitis A virus (HAV) susceptibility we described trends in notification rates, sex distribution and travel history of cases.
Results: Twenty-nine EU/EEA countries reported 139 793 HepA confirmed cases. Eastern EU countries reported >60% of these. EU/EEA notification rate during the study period was 3.2 cases per 100 000 population (range 2.7-5.6). Notifications increased over the study period with large peaks in 2014 and 2017. Notifications behaved differently in the four country susceptibility groups. In 2017 the proportion of male cases (74%), the median age of infection (31 years) jumped due to the cross-border outbreak disproportionally affecting MSM, whilst no changes in age and sex distribution happened in the 2013-2014 cross-border foodborne outbreak. Cases’ travel history shows seasonal peaks following the main holiday periods. Almost 60 000 hospitalisations were reported. Case-fatality is always <0,2%. Information on travel history, hospitalisation, death and, particularly, mode of transmission is sub-optimal.
Discussion: Although low baseline HepA incidence in most countries, the EU/EEA is still susceptible to recurrent large HepA outbreaks. Improving surveillance data quality and completeness will help early detection and prevention of large hepatitis A events and shape more effective policies tailored on specific country characteristics.
Welcome to North 4 or join on Teams: Click here to join the meeting