White Coats: Authorities ‘Missed’ Hepatitis A Outbreak

680 cases reported in Belarus.

A hepatitis A outbreak has been recorded in Belarus, reports White Coats.

At a scientific-practical conference held in St. Petersburg on February 5–6, 2025, Belarusian professor Tamara Amvrosyeva presented a report on the hepatitis A situation in the country. It revealed that the incidence rate had increased 8.4 times compared to 2023 (from 0.89 to 7.48 cases per 100,000 people). The epidemic has affected 56 administrative regions, covering about a third of the country's population, with around 680 confirmed cases.

From January to February 2024, the virus primarily spread through contaminated food. However, since March-April 2024, the contact-household transmission route (person-to-person infection) has gained significance and continues, albeit at a lower intensity. In 83% of cases, the disease presented in its more severe, jaundiced form, and 98% of those infected had never been vaccinated against hepatitis A.

It is evident that if the outbreak had been properly publicized, the number of infections could have been significantly lower—at the very least, people would have taken preventive measures more seriously. However, once again, the Belarusian Ministry of Health's strategy is to suppress information, attempting to resolve the issue discreetly — even at the cost of public health, as officials chose not to warn citizens about the outbreak.

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