Urgent warning to parents as potentially deadly liver virus rips through town and sickens under-5s

PARENTS have been urged to get their young children vaccinated as cases of hepatitis A have risen in recent months. Hepatitis A is a deadly liver infection that infected almost 100 people in the UK last year. Parents have been urged to get their young children vaccinated as cases of hepatitis A have risen recentlyCredit: Getty A hospital in Wales will be vaccinating children aged five and under this week to try and prevent the spread of further cases Credit: Getty Now, an outbreak of the infection in the Barry area, Wales, has seen 11 confirmed cases since December 2025. Public Health Wales have warned that the virus is spreading in the Vale of Glamorgan town. Sign up for the Health newsletter Thank you! The source of the outbreak, however, is unknown, so parents have been advised to get their young children vaccinated to prevent further spread of the infection. Children aged five and under are particularly at risk as the infection can present in young children without any obvious symptoms. Hepatitis A is spread through the faeces of an infected person and can be passed on via unwashed hands. Symptoms include a high temperature, flu-like symptoms, feeling or being sick, headaches and muscle pains, stomach pain, dark urine, pale poo and yellowing of the white of the eyes or skin. To try and contain the outbreak in Wales, free vaccines will be offered at Barry Hospital between August 18 and August 22 to children aged five and under, the BBC reported. Hepatitis A, however, is not just a threat in Wales. Most read in Health The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) announced in April 2025 that it had identified “an increase in hepatitis A cases” and was investigating two clusters of different viral genetic sequence of the virus. For the first genetic sequence, one cluster of the outbreak saw 31 cases recorded across the UK, with 66 per cent of those requiring hospitalisation. Another cluster was isolated from travellers returning to the UK from Slovakia, with suggestions that the source was foodborne. In the other genetic sequence, 64 cases were recorded in England as of mid-April 2025. According to UKHSA, there are approximately around 400 cases of hepatitis A in the UK each year. Case numbers increased, however, in 2024 with some 889 reported. What to know about hepatitis A... HEPATITIS A is most widespread in parts of the world where standards of cleanliness and food hygiene are poor. You can get the infection from: Drinking unclean water Eating food that’s been washed or grown in unclean water Eating food that’s been handled by an infected person Close contact with someone who has hepatitis A Having sex with someone who has the infection – particularly if you touch their anus with your fingers, mouth or tongue Injecting drugs using unclean equipment Someone with hepatitis A is most infectious from around 2 weeks before their symptoms appear until about 1 week after the symptoms first develop. Symptoms can include: feeling tired and generally unwell joint and muscle pain a high temperature (fever) loss of appetite feeling or being sick pain in the upper-right part of your tummy yellowing of the skin and eyes (jaundice) dark urine and pale stools itchy skin There are things you can do to help your symptoms and prevent the infection spreading to others. Get plenty of rest Take painkillers such as paracetamol or ibuprofen for any aches and pains – ask your GP for advice as you may need to take lower doses than normal or avoid certain medications until you’ve recovered Have a cool, airy environment Wear loose clothing Eat smaller, lighter meals to help reduce feeling sick and vomiting Wash your hands with soap and water regularly Wash soiled laundry separately on a hot cycle Clean the toilet, flush handles and taps more often than usual Source: The NHS That year, the greatest number of reports were among people aged between 25 and 34, followed by children aged five to nine years old, UKHSA said. Meanwhile in Europe, more than 6,000 cases of hepatitis A were confirmed in 2025, with outbreaks reported in Czechia, Slovakia, Austria and Hungary. Hepatitis A can be spread through drinking unclean water, eating food that’s been washed or grown in unclean water or eating food that’s been handled by an infected person. What’s more, the virus can also be spread from close contact with an infected person, including having sex and sharing needles to take drugs, the NHS says. Hepatitis A causes the liver to become inflamed and while some symptoms – such as feeling tired and generally unwell – can be hard to spot, others are more obvious. If your eyes or skin become yellow, it could be a sign of the disease. This is because when your liver isn’t working properly, it stops being able to get rid of bilirubin, a substance that causes jaundice. So, how can you protect your children from the infection? Hepatitis A can be more serious for youngsters who have a long-term liver condition and in rare cases, it can lead to liver damage. And this is why some children are offered the hepatitis A vaccine. At the moment, however, the jab is not routinely offered in the UK. The infection usually clears up on its own within three to six months, according to the NHS, although you may be offered painkillers or medicines to stop you feeling sick or itchy to help with symptoms. UKHSA advises people to wash their hands with soap and water often to prevent the spread of the infection. This includes after going to the toilet, before eating or preparing meals and after dealing with dirty nappies or sick people and their clothing. Comment now