Now Reading: Hepatitis A turns deadly in Kerala adults, doctors warn
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Hepatitis A turns deadly in Kerala adults, doctors warn
Hepatitis A is no longer a mild childhood illness in Kerala. Doctors report an alarming age shift, with 90% of patients now in the 18-40 age group. Last year alone, the state…
The Story in Brief
Hepatitis A is no longer a mild childhood illness in Kerala. Doctors report an alarming age shift, with 90% of patients now in the 18-40 age group. Last year alone, the state recorded 31,536 cases and 82 deaths. In 2025 so far, 12,437 cases and 125 deaths have been reported, including 69 confirmed Hepatitis A deaths.
Adults lack childhood immunity and suffer severe complications: acute liver failure, bone marrow suppression, and a cytokine storm requiring steroids and plasmapheresis. Two recent studies confirm this paradigm shift. The Malappuram-Kozhikode belt remains the epicentre. Clinicians say the government must either ensure safe drinking water or introduce universal Hepatitis A vaccination.
The Indian Opinion
The usual narrative blames only street food and juice shops. But the real culprit is a sanitation success that left a generation immunologically naive. Kerala's sewerage and water supply systems have not kept pace with its urbanisation. The state cannot lecture people about eating habits while public taps remain suspect. The test is simple: will the government now make Hepatitis A vaccine part of the universal immunisation programme, or will it wait for next year's death toll to cross 200?
Source: thehindu.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
