Hepatitis A vaccination for post-exposure prophylaxis in persons aged 40 years and older

摘要

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention collaborated with state public health officials and the Food and Drug Administration to control a multistate outbreak of hepatitis A virus (HAV) in the United States during May–July 2013 (http://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/Outbreaks/2013/A1b-03-31/index.html). Pomegranate seeds from Turkey were determined to be the most likely vehicle. As of August 1, 158 outbreak related cases were confirmed. The age range of cases was 1–84 years. Older adults are more likely to have severe disease. Importantly, 108 (68% of cases) were 40 years of age and older. All hospitalizations, 69 (44% of cases), were in persons older than 18 years of age, and 72% of hospitalized cases were older than 40 years of age. This is the largest hepatitis A outbreak since 2003 when greater than 500 cases in Pennsylvania were associated with contaminated green onions [1].