A CASE OF VIRAL HEPATITIS A IN A MARRIED COUPLE

Abstract

According to the Ministry of Health, since the beginning of 2025, more than 320 cases of hepatitis A have been registered. This figure is 100% higher than in the same period in 2024.With the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the risks of spreading infectious diseases have increased.The epidemic situation is currently unstable due to internal displacement, crowding in unequipped bomb shelters and basements, destruction of buildings, mass graves, and disruption of important strategic facilities. In the infectious diseases department of Chernivtsi, a case of acute viral hepatitis A was recorded in a married couple who are internally displaced persons.This clinical case is quite rare, because people over 40 years of age hardly ever get viral hepatitis A. It also attracts attention because it is a family case. After the man’s hospitalization, his wife fell ill 13 days later, and 21 days later their eldest son, who was 14 years old at the time of hospitalization. We also noticed that the younger son, who is 6 years old, did not get sick, or had viral hepatitis A, which is typical for viral hepatitis A at this age.Ukraine is a country of medium endemicity. This means that the vast majority of people come across the hepatitis A virus in childhood. But in children, it usually does not reach the point of jaundice. Only less than 10% of patients under the age of six have hepatitis A. Hepatitis A virus (HAV) is the leading cause of acute viral hepatitis worldwide and is transmitted mainly through direct contact with an infected person or through the consumption of contaminated water or food. The virus is particularly prevalent in low-income countries with poor sanitation and socio-demographic conditions.Even developed countries are prone to outbreaks, as globalization and increased travel contribute to the spread of the virus.