Rise in Hepatitis A cases

New Zealand had 27 cases of hepatitis in January and last month, compared with eight in the same period last year and 61 for the whole of last year.

Michael Baker, a public health physician with the Institute of Environmental Science and Research, said there was no clear cause for the increase and local public health staff would investigate.

While hepatitis A was rarely fatal, it could cause a severe illness characterised by jaundice, loss of appetite, extreme tiredness, fever, nausea and vomiting.