Thailand’s Ministry of Public Health has warned tourists to strictly follow food and hygiene guidelines after a rise in Hepatitis A cases was recorded in the central and eastern regions, including Bangkok.
Thai media reported that between January 1 and April 20, a total of 672 Hepatitis A cases were detected across Thailand, mostly among working-age individuals.
Notably, more than 40 cases were recorded each week from the 6th to the 14th week of this year, indicating a more severe outbreak compared to the same period last year. The outbreak is mainly concentrated in several eastern provinces, including Bangkok, Chonburi, Rayong, and Chanthaburi.
Authorities stated that the virus is mainly transmitted through consuming contaminated food or water, close personal contact, and touching contaminated objects before putting hands in the mouth.
Infected individuals can spread the virus through their feces one to two weeks before showing symptoms.
Thailand’s health authorities have activated a response mechanism, monitoring drinking water, toilets, and hygiene systems, strengthening food and water safety inspections, tracing infection sources through epidemiological investigations, and continuously monitoring the outbreak until it is fully contained.
They urge tourists to only consume fresh, thoroughly cooked food and avoid all raw and undercooked food such as oysters, raw shrimp, and salads.
If cooked food is left out for more than two hours, it must be thoroughly reheated before consumption. Tourists should choose clean, safe, fully packaged, and standard-compliant bottled water and ice cubes.
Tourists were also reminded to wash their hands thoroughly with soap and water before cooking, eating, after using the toilet, and caring for patients. They should use personal tableware and avoid sharing.
Tourists are also advised to be cautious of food from street stalls, as hygiene standards are difficult to guarantee. Instead, they should choose restaurants with fixed stalls and high customer flow, and consume clean, reliably sourced food.
Since Hepatitis A has an incubation period of up to one month, tourists who develop symptoms such as fever, fatigue, or jaundice after returning to Hong Kong should proactively inform their doctors of their recent travel history for early diagnosis and treatment.
Currently, a Hepatitis A vaccine is available in Hong Kong, and citizens planning to travel to high-risk areas may consult their family doctors to consider getting vaccinated in advance.
According to the Centre for Health Protection, symptoms of Hepatitis A in adults may include fever, fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea, diarrhea, dark urine, and jaundice. The incubation period ranges from 14 to 28 days (average 28 to 30 days). Young children, especially those under six years old, usually have no obvious symptoms; only 10 percent of child cases develop jaundice, and the condition is more severe in older individuals.
The Hepatitis A vaccine consists of two doses, administered 6 to 18 months apart. High-risk groups are advised to consider vaccination. However, those who have had an allergic reaction to the components of the Hepatitis A vaccine or a severe reaction to multiple vaccines are not suitable for vaccination.
