A NEW HEPATITIS-A OUTBREAK IN AMBERT, FRA NCE, ILLUSTRATING THE INCREASING SUSCEPTIBILITY OF YOUNG-ADULTS TO THE HEPATITIS-A VIRUS

16 years after a previous hepatitis A outbreak involving schoolchildre n, another community-wide outbreak occurred in Ambert, France, in 1994 . After investigation involving all the general practitioners of the d istrict, 18 cases were identified: 10 males, 8 females, mean age: 26.1 years, range: 5-48 years. 12 (66.6 %) patients were young adults over 15 years of age. All patients were symptomatic during a mean period o f 15.5 days and recovered. A 43 year old patient was hospitalized. 10 patients (55.5 %) were on leave of absence, for a mean period of 15.5 days (range: 10-90 days). This outbreak highlights the increasing susc eptibility of young adults to the hepatitis A virus, and the older age at which patients are infected in France.