Syrian Arab News Agency S A N A
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Damascus, SANA-Assistant Health Minister Ahmad Khalifawi said that hepatitis A cases in Syria dropped markedly last week as citizens are increasingly heeding health rules.
In a statement to SANA, Khalifawi said the 10th week of 2015 saw 1512 cases in Syria compared to 2548 in the previous week.
“One of the global standards indicate that for an infectious disease to be rated an epidemic, there must be a doubling of the number of cases in the course of few weeks,” he added.
The ministry is in the process of applying epidemiological surveillance of infectious diseases in all areas where the disease was spotted, adding that efforts are underway to make hepatitis vaccines available for citizens.
The ministry is “closely monitoring vaccines in pharmacies and taking firm legal action against those which do not comply with standards,” he added.
Vaccines taken during the incubation period of the disease, which lasts between 14-28 days, are useless, he added.
Hepatitis A is caused by hepatitis A virus (HAV). Transmission occurs by the fecal-oral route, either by direct contact with an HAV-infected person or by ingestion of HAV-contaminated food or water.
Prevention measures include good personal hygiene, good care of babies, abstaining from eating underdone food, and washing vegetables and fruit with water and soap.
Assistant director of communicable and chronic diseases Dr. Hani al-Laham said that epidemiological surveillance of hepatitis A cases showed an increase in cases but they “fall short of an epidemic” as he said the increase is “within normal bounds” and infections are “sporadic and not confined to a specific area.”
Manal Ismael
