An outbreak of hepatitis A, a viral infection with a fecal-oral transmission mechanism, has been recorded in the Vidradny neighborhood of Solomyanskyi district of Kyiv. As Nataliya Hunchenko, Deputy Director General of the Kyiv City Center for Disease Control and Prevention of the Ministry of Health, reported during a briefing, at this time the disease has been detected in 65 people, 31 of whom are children.
The source of infection has not yet been identified. Experts are considering three possible options: infected water, food products, or asymptomatic carriers of the virus among the local population.
"We are working in several directions at once. The sources of the virus can be both water and food, or people who carry the disease without symptoms. All these versions are currently being investigated," Hunchenko noted.
Specialists from the State Service for Food and Consumer Protection, Kyivvodokanal and Kyivvodfond are involved in the investigation of the causes. The incubation period of hepatitis A can reach 50 days, and symptoms often appear gradually. In some children, the disease develops without jaundice, which complicates timely diagnosis.
The neighborhood has already conducted 13 rapid tests among residents — one of them turned out to be positive. Work at the center is ongoing.
Doctors remind: hepatitis A is often called the "disease of dirty hands." The only effective method of prevention is vaccination, since there is no specific treatment. It is also worth observing personal hygiene, using only safe water, and thoroughly washing products before consumption.
The investigation into the source of the infection is ongoing.
