Hepatitis A in Hungary

26 Jun 2025

On 18 June 2025, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) reported an increase of hepatitis A in Hungary.

Between January and May 2025, 641 cases of suspected hepatitis A were reported, of which 530 had been confirmed. Most cases had been reported in and around Budapest.

A higher than expected number of clusters of cases have been reported in a number of European countries primarily affecting adults experiencing homelessness, those who use/inject drugs, and those living in poor santitary conditions.

Advice to travellers

To protect yourself from hepatitis A when travelling:

• pay strict attention to your hand hygiene, especially before meals and after using the toilet
• practice safe food and water precautions - foods that have been washed or grown in unclean water e.g. shellfish, berries and salad vegetables, have previously caused outbreaks
• take care with your personal hygiene, particularly during activities that involve close physical contact with a potentially infected person
• consider if you may need to be vaccinated against Hepatitis A before you go

Vaccination

Vaccination against hepatitis A is recommended, depending on risk assessment, for:

• people travelling to countries where there is a high risk of hepatitis A circulating in the local population
• people who are at higher risk of infection from their job or lifestyle, or have an increased chance of becoming severely ill with the infection, such as:
• men who have sex with other men
• people who inject illegal drugs
• people with existing medical conditions such as liver disease or haemophilia (clotting disorder)
• pregnant women
• close contacts of someone with hepatitis A
• people who may be exposed to hepatitis A through their job (e.g. healthcare, sewage, laboratory workers)

For further information see the fitfortravel hepatitis A page