It is clear that the hepatitis A incidence will be much higher than last year.
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Prague theatres demonstrate in support of culture ... From January until the end of July, the SZU registered 130 patients with hepatitis A, which is two more than during the whole last year. Prague faces an alarming epidemic of hepatitis type A this year. The infectious illness, transmitted by dirty hands and food, has spread mainly in the community of drug addicts and the homeless. Only in July, 62 new cases of hepatitis A were diagnosed, compared with only seven in July 2007 and eight in 2006. Prague sanitary inspector Zdenka Jagrova said 90 percent of cases were from Prague, followed by people from its surroundings in central Bohemia. Hepatitis type B, transmitted by blood, and C are frequent among intravenous drug-users. Vaccination against hepatitis A and B is available, but not against the type C. The number of hepatitis C cases has also steeply increased. It is generally considered "the illness of drug-users" as its incidence among them is some 100 percent higher than in the rest of the population. Some 35 percent of those who apply drugs intravenously suffer from hepatitis C. In July, 107 new cases were reported in the Czech Republic, compared with 64 in July 2007 and 81 in 2006. Organisations dealing with drug treatment and prevention launched vaccination against hepatitis in the risk community in mid-July. The Health Ministry has provided 1500 combined vaccines against A and B hepatitis free for drug-addicts. One dose costs 900-1500 crowns. It is administered in three doses. Hepatitis E is spread similarly like type A and people get infected with it mainly in exotic countries. No vaccination is available.
(Ceske Noviny)
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