An outbreak of hepatitis A associated with salted clams in Busan, Korea.

Autor: Son H; Department of Preventive Medicine, Dong-A University College of Medicine, Busan, Korea., Lee M; Busan Center for Infectious Disease Control and Prevention, Pusan National University Hospital, Busan, Korea., Eun Y; Busan Center for Infectious Disease Control and Prevention, Pusan National University Hospital, Busan, Korea., Park W; Busan Center for Infectious Disease Control and Prevention, Pusan National University Hospital, Busan, Korea., Park K; Busan Center for Infectious Disease Control and Prevention, Pusan National University Hospital, Busan, Korea., Kwon S; Busan Center for Infectious Disease Control and Prevention, Pusan National University Hospital, Busan, Korea., Kim S; Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, Cheongju, Korea., Kim C; Busan Center for Infectious Disease Control and Prevention, Pusan National University Hospital, Busan, Korea.; Department of Preventive Medicine, Pusan National University College of Medicine, Busan, Korea.
Jazyk: angličtina
Zdroj: Epidemiology and health [Epidemiol Health] 2022; Vol. 44, pp. e2022003. Date of Electronic Publication: 2021 Dec 29.
DOI: 10.4178/epih.e2022003
Abstrakt: Objectives: In July 2019, there were multiple reports on patients with hepatitis A among the visitors of a restaurant in Busan. The current study presents the results of an epidemiological investigation and outlines the supplementary measures that would help with hepatitis A control.
Methods: A cohort study was conducted for all 2,865 customers who visited restaurant A from June to July. Using a standardized questionnaire, participants reported the presence of hepatitis A symptoms and whether they had consumed any of 19 food items. As for participants who had visited public health centers, their specimens were collected.
Results: From the study cohort, 155 participants (5.4%) had confirmed hepatitis A. The epidemic curve was unimodal, and the median number of days from the restaurant visit to symptom onset was 31 days. A genotype analysis indicated that 89 of 90 tested patients had hepatitis A virus (HAV) genotype 1A. The results of a multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that the ingestion of salted clams increased the risk of hepatitis A by 68.12 times (95% confidence interval [CI], 9.22 to 510.87). In an unopened package of salted clams found and secured through traceback investigation, HAV genotype 1A was detected.
Conclusions: To prevent people from ingesting uncooked clams, there needs to be more efforts to publicize the dangers of uncooked clams; the food sampling test standards for salted clams should also be expanded. Furthermore, a laboratory surveillance system based on molecular genetics should be established to detect outbreaks earlier.
Databáze: MEDLINE
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