Ahmed S, Nashwan AJ. Rising adult hepatitis A in Pakistan: Shifting trends and public health solutions. World J Virol 2025; 14(2): 102519 [DOI: 10.5501/wjv.v14.i2.102519]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Abdulqadir J Nashwan, PhD, Department of Nursing and Midwifery Research, Hamad Medical Corporation, Rayyan Road, Doha 3050, Qatar. anashwan@hamad.qa
Research Domain of This Article
Virology
Article-Type of This Article
Letter to the Editor
Open-Access Policy of This Article
This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
World J Virol. Jun 25, 2025; 14(2): 102519 Published online Jun 25, 2025. doi: 10.5501/wjv.v14.i2.102519
Rising adult hepatitis A in Pakistan: Shifting trends and public health solutions
Saad Ahmed, Abdulqadir J Nashwan
Saad Ahmed, Department of Biological Sciences, International Islamic University Islamabad, Islamabad 44000, Pakistan
Abdulqadir J Nashwan, Department of Nursing and Midwifery Research, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha 3050, Qatar
Author contributions: Ahmed S and Nashwan AJ wrote the draft and critically reviewed the literature; and all authors thoroughly reviewed and endorsed the final manuscript.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
Open Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Abdulqadir J Nashwan, PhD, Department of Nursing and Midwifery Research, Hamad Medical Corporation, Rayyan Road, Doha 3050, Qatar. anashwan@hamad.qa
Received: October 21, 2024 Revised: January 26, 2025 Accepted: February 8, 2025 Published online: June 25, 2025 Processing time: 245 Days and 20.4 Hours
Abstract
This letter evaluates Shahid et al’s study in 2025 on the rising hepatitis A virus (HAV) among adults in Pakistan, highlighting a shift in the virus’s epidemiology. Once primarily a childhood disease in low-income regions, HAV is now increasingly affecting adults, also seen globally due to improved sanitation. The study highlights public health challenges from adult HAV infections, which can lead to complications like coagulopathy and acute liver failure. It also has limitations, including being a single-center study and lacking seroprevalence and socioeconomic data, indicating the need for further research. This letter calls for urgent public health measures to extend adult vaccination programs and improve sanitation to address the increasing HAV infection in adult populations.
Core Tip: The rising incidence of hepatitis A virus infections among adults in Pakistan, as highlighted by Shahid et al in 2025, underscores the urgent need for expanded vaccination programs targeting high-risk groups and improved public health strategies to mitigate the impact of this evolving epidemiological threat. Enhanced surveillance, public awareness campaigns, and targeted immunization initiatives are vital for reducing transmission and preventing outbreaks. These measures will safeguard vulnerable populations and ease the burden on the healthcare system, paving the way for a more resilient and proactive public health infrastructure.
