Epidemiology and clinical course of hepatitis A in Cantabria before and after the epidemic outbreak of June 2016

Background and objectives Since June 2016, there have been outbreaks of hepatitis A in various European countries, mainly affecting men who have sex with men (MSM). The aim of this study was to assess their clinical and epidemiological impact in Cantabria, Spain. Material and methods We retrospectively collected all cases of hepatitis A diagnosed in Cantabria between January 2013 and September 2018. We compared 2 periods: January 2013–May 2016 and June 2016–September 2018. Results A total of 156 cases were diagnosed, observing an increase in the incidence starting in October 2016. With regard to 2013–2016, we observed a higher proportion of men (50.0% vs. 84.5%; p = .012) with a predominance of the homosexual orientation (80.6%) and a higher rate of sexual transmission (0% vs. 48.3%; p = .061) for the patients in the 2016–2018 period. From the clinical standpoint, all cases of severe hepatitis occurred during this latter period. Conclusions Our results reaffirm the high clinical and epidemiological impact of the epidemic outbreak in Cantabria and emphasises the need for optimising the current prevention measures against hepatitis A.