Introduction: The World Health Organization recommends vaccination against hepatitis A virus (HAV) for children aged 1 year and older in areas where endemicity has shifted from high to intermediate. There are no recent comprehensive reviews of the epidemiology of HAV infection in Latin America, but seroprevalence and socioeconomic data suggest that, with improved clean water and sanitation systems, countries are transitioning to intermediate endemicity. Areas covered: We conducted a systematic literature review of the epidemiology of HAV infection in 25 countries in the Latin American region, which included gray literature. We compiled data on HAV incidence and prevalence, including the identification of epidemiological changes observed in countries that established pediatric HAV vaccination programs. Expert opinion: We identified 59 relevant articles, including 34 peer-reviewed seroprevalence studies (12 recent studies from Brazil), three incidence studies, and six vaccine impact studies (three from Argentina). Based on the estimated age at midpoint of population immunity in each country, most have a high-intermediate, intermediate, or low-intermediate level of HAV endemicity, suggesting that national childhood immunization may be an appropriate disease prevention strategy. However, recent data were lacking for most countries. Improved data quality and continued epidemiological surveillance are required for this region.

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Hepatitis A (HA) is a vaccine‐preventable liver disease with >170 million new cases occurring yearly. In recent outbreaks in the USA, hospitalization and case‐fatality ratios were >60% and ~1%, respectively. In Europe, endemicity persists and outbreaks continue to occur. We performed a systematic literature review to understand the changes in HA occurrence in Europe over the past two decades. PubMed and Embase were systematically searched for peer‐reviewed articles published between 1 January 2001 and 14 April 2021 using terms covering HA, 11 selected European countries, outbreaks, outcomes and HA virus circulation. Here, we focus on HA occurrence and outbreaks in the five countries with the largest population and the most comprehensive vaccination recommendations: France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK; 118 reports included data for these five European countries. Notification rates (≤9.7/100,000 population) and percentages of men among cases (≤83.0%) peaked in 2017. The number of person‐to‐person‐transmitted cases and outbreaks decreased in children but increased in other risk groups, such as men who have sex with men (MSM). Sexually transmitted outbreaks in MSM clustered around 2017. Travel‐related outbreaks were few; the proportion of travel‐related cases decreased during the past two decades, while the number of domestic cases increased. Despite the existing risk‐based vaccination recommendations, HA transmission shifted in proportions from travelers and children to other risk groups, such as MSM and older age groups. Because a substantial proportion of the European population is susceptible to HA, adherence to existing recommendations should be monitored more closely, and enhanced vaccination strategies should be considered.

In the last two decades, outbreaks due to the foodborne hepatitis A virus (HAV) have been frequently reported in India, with adolescents and adults primarily affected. In India, most food handlers are adolescents and young adults who might be exposed to unsatisfactory environmental conditions and poor water quality. This increases the risk of HAV infection and consequently compounds the risk of HAV transmission from food handlers to susceptible populations. Given the shift in hepatitis A endemicity from high to intermediate levels in India, implementing the vaccination of food handlers has become important as it can also contribute to the elimination of hepatitis A in India. This narrative review makes a case for hepatitis A immunization of food handlers in India considering the growing food industry, evolving food culture, and the substantial burden caused by hepatitis A outbreaks.

Background Hepatitis A virus (HAV) infection is a leading cause of viral hepatitis in children, yet the HAV vaccine is not included in the national immunization program (NIP) in Mexico. This study addresses an identified evidence gap of the burden of hepatitis A disease, complications, and associated costs in Mexico by analyzing surveillance and healthcare data. Data review included disease morbidity (incidence and hospitalization), mortality, and healthcare resource utilization costs. Methods In this observational, retrospective database study, we conducted a systematic screening, extraction, and analysis of outcome data from the national surveillance system in Mexico from January 2000 to December 2019. Results During the analysis period (2000–2019), the average incidence rate/year of HAV cases was 14.7 (5.4–21.5) per 100,000 inhabitants. Children 1–9 years of age (YoA) had the highest average incidence rate/year with 47.8 (14.7–74.5). The average hospitalization rate/year due to HAV infection was 5.8% (2.9–9.6%). Although the highest burden of HAV continued to be in children (1–9 YoA), an increase in incidence and hospitalizations (with complications) in older age groups (≥ 10–64 YoA) was observed. The annual average fatality rate was estimated to be 0.44% (0.26–0.83%) of which 28.8% of deaths were concentrated in adults ≥ 65 YoA. The total direct costs of medical attention due to HAV and related complications were estimated at $382 million Mexican pesos. Conclusion The overall results suggest an uptrend in HAV infections in adolescents/adults compared to children in Mexico. Therefore, as the overall incidence risk of HAV infection decreases, the mean age of infection increases. This consequently increases the risk of severity and complications in older age groups, thus increasing the demand for healthcare resources. Our findings provide evidence for including the inactivated HAV vaccine in the Mexican NIP.