Increase in Adult Acute Hepatitis A Cases Following the Earthquake: An Epidemiological and Clinical Evaluation Deprem Sonrası Erişkin Akut Hepatit A Olgularında Artış: Epidemiyolojik ve Klinik Değerlendirme
Viral Hepatitis Journal, cilt.32, sa.2, ss.46-50, 2026 (ESCI, Scopus)
- Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
- Cilt numarası: 32 Sayı: 2
- Basım Tarihi: 2026
- Doi Numarası: 10.4274/vhd.galenos.2026.2025-11-2
- Dergi Adı: Viral Hepatitis Journal
- Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI), Scopus
- Sayfa Sayıları: ss.46-50
- Anahtar Kelimeler: Hepatitis A, earthquake, viral hepatitis
- Sağlık Bilimleri Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
Objectives: Acute hepatitis A continues to be an important public health problem in developing countries. This study aimed to evaluate the epidemiological, clinical, and laboratory characteristics of adult cases of acute hepatitis A observed in Adana and surrounding areas over the last five years, and to highlight the increase in cases after the 2023 earthquakes. Examine the potential association between the post-disaster period and the observed trend in case numbers. Materials and Methods: This retrospective cross-sectional study included adult patients diagnosed with acute hepatitis A between January 2020 and May 2025. The patients’ demographic data, clinical findings, laboratory results, and the development of complications were examined. Results: The median age of the 31 adults with acute hepatitis A included in the study was 23 years (range 18-51), and 64.5% cases were male. The most common presenting complaints were nausea-vomiting (83.9%), abdominal pain (64.5%), and dark urine (58.1%). The mean alanine transaminase level was 2205±1223 U/L, while the median aspartate aminotransferase level was 1102 U/L. Although the highest frequency of cases occurred during the winter (54.8%), a notable clustering in case numbers was observed in 2023 and 2024, temporally coinciding with the period following the February 6 earthquakes. Risk factors included living in crowded environments (25.8%) and being military personnel (12.9%), alongside documented instances of intra-familial transmission. Conclusion: The vast majority of acute hepatitis A cases occurred in young adults, and a marked increase in case numbers was observed, particularly in the post-earthquake period. These findings suggest that hepatitis A remains an important public health problem and that environmental factors may affect the epidemiology of hepatitis A. The increase in cases may be associated with post-earthquake living conditions, inadequate hygiene, and population movements. Therefore, strengthening sanitation and effectively maintaining vaccination in high-risk groups post-disaster are of great importance.