Hepatitis A Outbreak Prompts Hygiene Alert at Berlin Ski Resort
Berlin, Germany โ- โฃA confirmedโฃ case of Hepatitis A has triggered a public health warning at a ski resort in Berlin, prompting officials to urge tourists to practice heightened โhygiene. Teh Robert Koch Institute โ(RKI) reports the highly contagious liver infection, characterized โby an โincubationโ period of 15 to 50 days, is typically spread through “fecal-oral transmission via contact or โsmear infection.”
The outbreak comesโ as the winter sports season draws visitors โto the region, raising concerns โคabout โฃpotential further transmission. While moast individuals fully recover โwithin two to three months, the RKI โnotes that severe complications, โคthough rare, can occur, especially in those with pre-existingโ liver conditions. The case underscores the importance of preventative measures, especially in communal settings like โski resorts were close contact is common.
Hepatitis A initially presents with symptomsโ such as nausea, fatigue, and abdominal discomfort. โThese are often followed by jaundice,indicated by pale stools,dark urine,andโฃ yellowing โof the skin and eyes. Theโ RKI provides further details on the virus in a recent โreport https://edoc.rki.de/bitstream/handle/176904/10733/EB-6-2023-RG.pdf?sequence=1.
The โHepatitis A virus measures between โฃ20 and โฃ30 nanometers in diameter, asโฃ visualizedโฃ underโ a transmission electron microscope (pictured). [Image: picture alliance / BSIP].
