French authorities have noticed nine hepatitis A cases clustered in the Côtes d’Armor district in northwestern France. The authorities have order for probe in which epidemiological, environmental and microbiological investigations were set up in order to identify the source and vehicle of contamination and implement control measures.
According to the figures from Eurosurveillance in total, 111 cases were identified in the outbreak, all of whom lived or had stayed as tourists in the Côtes d’Armor district. Of the cases, 87 percent had eaten raw shellfish, and 81 percent specifically oysters. Traceback investigations carried out on raw shellfish consumed by the cases showed that the raw shellfish originated from a single shellfish farm.
It is informed that the source of contamination was not identified but shellfish could have been tainted by sewage overflows or by wastewater releases from a polluted storm sewer close to the shellfish farm or from on-site sanitation facilities. Eurosurveillance advised that to prevent future hepatitis A outbreaks due to shellfish consumption from this area, hazards specific to each farm should be analysed.
The investigation team also recommends assessing specific risks on each farm of the bay to identify specific hazards and possible control measures. These recommendations may contribute to preventing not only hepatitis A [15] but also other food-borne infections.
