Since the third week of February 2025, 13 cases of hepatitis A have been reported in Kyauktaw Township, Arkan (Rakhine) State and health professionals have warned the public to stay vigilant and take preventive measures.
Talking of how hepatitis A can affect people and has now become more prevalent than Hepatitis B, which was until recently the more common version of hepatitis infecting people in Myanmar, a healthcare worker from Kyauktaw Township said to DMG: “Previously, most liver-related health issues were seen in people with hepatitis B. But now, the risk isn't limited to them—everyone is vulnerable. Those with weakened immune systems often take longer to recover.”
Symptoms of hepatitis A include unusual fatigue, sudden nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, loss of appetite, low-grade fever, dark urine, joint pain, jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes), and intense itching. In severe cases, acute liver failure may occur, which can be fatal.
A woman from Kyauktaw Township who contracted hepatitis A said: “I initially thought it was just a mild fever and didn't pay much attention, but when my eyes started turning yellow, I rushed to the hospital. That's when I discovered I had hepatitis A.”
People infected with hepatitis A can recover quicker if they receive proper treatment, eat a healthy diet, pay close attention to personal hygiene and make sure that all the food they eat has been properly cleaned, according to healthcare workers.
Another Kyauktaw-based healthcare worker said to DMG: “Children and long-term alcohol drinkers are at higher risk of suffering more severely from the disease. Alcohol consumption often leads to underlying liver conditions, increasing vulnerability. Children are particularly at risk due to their weaker immune systems. When they contract the disease, their eyes may turn yellow, and their liver may become swollen and enlarged.”
Following the detection of a significant number of cases of hepatitis A in Yangon City on 2 March 2025, the junta’s health ministry issued a warning that there might be a major outbreak of hepatitis A and that it is very contagious, particularly amongst children.
The health ministry also recommended that to help prevent the spread of hepatitis A, people practice good personal hygiene, wash their hands frequently, avoid eating food exposed to flies, and drink only water that has been boiled, treated with water purification tablets, or approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
