According to the top health official in Ukraine, all schools in Vinnytsia, a city in central Ukraine, will shift to online learning from Monday due to a recent outbreak of hepatitis A which has resulted in numerous children and adults being hospitalized.

“The main thing now is to establish the center of the outbreak and the causes in order to stop the spread of the viral hepatitis A among the population as soon as possible,” Chief Sanitary Doctor of Ukraine Ihor Kuzin wrote on Facebook on Saturday.

Kuzin, who holds the position of deputy health minister in Ukraine, reported that a total of 141 individuals in the city and surrounding area were hospitalized. Vinnytsia, the administrative hub of the central Ukrainian region of Vinnytsia, had a population of approximately 370,000 prior to the war.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that hepatitis A is a very infectious liver infection that can be transmitted through close physical contact or consuming contaminated food or beverages.

Individuals who contract hepatitis A may experience illness for a few weeks to several months, but typically make a complete recovery unless they fall into a high-risk category or have pre-existing medical conditions.

According to Kuzin, the cause of the outbreak has not yet been identified. Our team is currently studying the locations where the disease is spreading and collaborating with the community to identify individuals who may have been in contact with infected persons.