The Ministry of Public Health responded to reports circulating in some media about the spread of hepatitis A in the Baalbek-Hermel Governorate, stating: "The disease of viral hepatitis A is endemic in Lebanon, which means that cases are recorded in more than one Lebanese area annually throughout the year." It added: "Lebanon has recorded an increase in the number of cases from the beginning of 2023 to date, compared to the same period last year, particularly in the districts of Tripoli, Akkar, Minieh-Denniyeh, and Baalbek, where the town of Arsal has specifically seen a noticeable rise in the number of cases. To date, Lebanon has recorded 1,785 cases, including 204 in Baalbek."
The Ministry of Health confirmed that the epidemiological surveillance team is collecting water samples from the areas with the highest reported cases for testing in the laboratory of government hospitals.
The Ministry of Health reminded about the characteristics of the disease and its prevention, emphasizing the following:
- Hepatitis A is transmitted via the fecal-oral route, particularly through the consumption of contaminated water or food and through contaminated hands.
- The incubation period of the disease (from the entry of the virus into the human body until the appearance of symptoms) lasts from 14 to 28 days.
- Symptoms include fever (high temperature), yellowing of the skin and eyes (jaundice), loss of appetite, diarrhea with pale-colored stools, dark urine, and joint pain. Symptoms are often mild and may not be clear in infants and young children.
- Preventive measures against the disease include consuming food and water from safe sources (or chlorinating them when necessary), maintaining personal hygiene, washing hands (especially before preparing and consuming food, after using the restroom, and after changing children's diapers), safely disposing of solid and liquid waste, in addition to receiving the vaccine.
