Roma Ghetto in Southern Bulgarian City Struggling with Hepatitis A Outbreak

There is boom of infected patients with hepatitis A in Rakovski. There are sick children in several schools and kindergartens.

The first diseases have been since the beginning of September. Everyone has gone through the infectious clinic in Plovdiv, say the city's health inspection.

"This is an infection that is transmitted by fecal-oral route and the problem is that the incubation period of the disease is quite long - 45 days, a person is infected two weeks before he becomes yellow," health inspectors warn.

In the Roma neighborhood of Rakovski, almost every house has a hepatitis A sufferer. Residents of the neighborhood admit they do not know how to protect themselves.

Hepatitis A sufferers have lifelong immunity, a preventive measure is vaccination.

35 cases reported cases of infected children at Hristo Smirnenski School in Rakovski. Parents of students are worried and threaten to stop their children from school if no action is taken.