Why are hepatitis A cases rising sharply in parts of Europe - and what can public health professionals do about it?

In this episode of ECDC on Air, Linda Trönnberg - Principal Expert in Food-, Waterborne and Zoonotic Diseases, and Theresa Enkirch - Expert in Microbiology and Molecular Epidemiology break down the latest hepatitis A outbreak affecting Austria, Czechia, Hungary, and Slovakia, highlighting who is being most affected, how the virus is spreading, and what actions can help contain it.

From person-to-person transmission in areas with limited sanitation to the role of genomic sequencing and the importance of tailored outreach, this episode explores the science and strategy behind the response and what cross-border coordination can achieve.

This is the first episode in the series where we focus on the recently published Rapid RIsk Assesments on infectious diseases.

The RRA on Hepatitis A cases from 18 June 2025 can be found here.

For more on Hepatitis, check the dedicated pages on the ECDC portal.

More information on epidemiology in Europe in general can be found on our portal: https://ecdc.europa.eu and social media channels.