Physical intimacy between young people is the main way people contract hepatitis A in Taiwan and most young people do not have immunity against the disease, the Taiwan Children’s Liver Foundation said.
Five hundred and twenty-nine cases of acute hepatitis A infection have been reported this year, already surpassing the 171 cases last year, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said, adding that it is a dramatic increase compared with the total numbers of reported cases in the past few years.
As of Sunday, the CDC’s data showed 141 hepatitis A cases have been reported in Taipei and 170 cases in New Taipei City this year.
Foundation chairperson Chang Mei-hwei (張美惠), who is also an Academia Sinica fellow and professor at National Taiwan University’s College of Medicine, said that about 1,600 cases of acute hepatitis A were reported between 2006 and last year, and the spike this year is worrying.
The numbers have significantly increased since January, with sometimes 30 or 40 cases reported in a week, mostly of young people living in metropolitan areas, she said.
Chang said CDC data suggest homosexual men and bisexual people have a higher rate of infection.
Hepatitis A can be transmitted through fecal-oral interaction and sexual activity, Chang said, adding that it can be prevented by maintaining good personal hygiene, including washing hands frequently, avoiding raw food and getting vaccinated.
“Clinical trials on adults and children both showed good results for hepatitis A vaccine,” she said, adding that immunity can last for about 20 years or more if a person gets vaccinated during childhood. It is recommended that children aged between 12 and 18 months are vaccinated.
The CDC urged people to practice safe sex, and to refrain from sharing hypodermic needles to prevent hepatitis A infection.
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