Get tested for hepatitis A with us

12. 08. 2025

The number of people infected with hepatitis A is rising significantly in the Czech Republic. In the first seven months of the year, doctors recorded 1,053 cases of this type of hepatitis. Last year, there were 168 cases during the same period, and in 2023, there were only 16. This is according to data published on August 11, 2025, by the National Institute of Public Health (SZÚ). Other Central European countries are also struggling with high numbers of cases.

The highest number of cases has been recorded in Prague, Central Bohemia, and the Moravian-Silesian Region. The most common victims are homeless people, people on the margins of society, and drug users.

The disease is usually mild or asymptomatic in children, with more serious complications appearing with age. The incubation period ranges from 15 to 50 days. Symptoms can vary. They may resemble the flu, manifesting as nausea or loss of appetite, as well as yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes. Transmission occurs through the stool of an infected person or dirty hands. This is why hepatitis A is known as the dirty hands disease. However, Czechs also often bring it back from abroad.