Objective: A cluster of suspected hepatitis A cases was notified to the Fiji Ministry of Health on 22 October 2013.
An outbreak investigation team was mobilized to confirm the existence of an outbreak of hepatitis A and advise appropriate
public health interventions.
Methods: A case definition for the outbreak investigation was established, and standardized data collection tools were used
to collect information on clinical presentation and risk factors. An environmental assessment was also conducted.
Results: There were 160 clinical cases of hepatitis A of which 15 were laboratory-confirmed. The attack rate was 349 per
10 000 population in the Nukuloa nursing zone; there were no reported deaths. Residents of the Nukuloa settlement were
6.6 times more likely to present with symptomatic hepatitis A infection (95% confidence interval: 3.8–12.6) compared
with residents of another village with a different water supply.
Discussion: This is the first significant hepatitis A outbreak documented in Ba subdivision and possibly in Fiji. Enhanced
surveillance of hepatitis A may reveal other clusters in the country. Improving the primary water source dramatically
reduced the occurance of disease in the affected community and adjacent areas.