In 2021, 14 560 cases of hepatitis C were reported in 29 EU/EEA Member States. Excluding countries that only reported acute cases the number of cases (14 550 cases) corresponds to a crude rate of 4.1 cases per 100 000 population.
In 2016–2017, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) organised the third point prevalence survey (PPS) of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) and antimicrobial use in European long-term care facilities (LTCFs) or HALT-3.
Hepatitis A cases in 2021 were at their lowest levels since EU-level hepatitis A surveillance began in 2007, while five other food and waterborne diseases are rising towards pre-pandemic levels. The information is revealed in the Annual Epidemiological Report 2021, of which six chapters are published today by ECDC.
Viral hepatitis is an infection that causes inflammation of the liver. It can be caused by different viruses, including hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV). Both HBV and HCV can cause acute and chronic infections and are leading causes of liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma.
This report of the European Food Safety Authority and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control presents the results of zoonoses monitoring and surveillance activities carried out in 2021 in 27 MSs, the United Kingdom (Northern Ireland) and nine non-MSs.