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A warning has been issued following the outbreak of a serious infection in a popular European holiday destination. Local authorities have banned shellfish sales following the rise in cases of hepatitis A.

According to Travel Health Pro, a Foreign Office-backed travel website, there were 65 cases of the infection confirmed in the Campania region of Italy, which includes Naples and Capri, in the week to March 19. This takes the total number of hepatitis A cases in the region to 180 since the start of the year. The rise in infections is believed to be linked to the consumption of contaminated seafood.

As reported by OK!, Dr Raffaele Di Sarno, head of the infectious disease emergency room at Cotugno Hospital, said: "We currently have 51 hospitalised patients and nine patients in the emergency room." The patients are reportedly between 30 and 40 years old.

Many of them reported eating raw mussels which has triggered the City of Naples to ban their consumption in all public restaurants. Mayor Gaetano Manfredi is also urging residents to be careful when eating fruit and vegetables, insisting they must be properly washed.

NAS Carabinieri, a public health unit which investigates food safety, said: "Cases are distributed throughout the country: similar situations are being reported in the provinces of Naples, Caserta, and other hospitals."

According to local news site Il Mattino, most of the cases have been reported in Naples and Caserta. There have also been infections confirmed across the wider Campania region, amounting to around 180 cases since the start of 2026.

Experts believe the outbreak is from the consumption of raw or inadequately cooked bivalve shellfish (mussels, clams, oysters). Maria Triassi, a university professor of hygiene, said: "My impression is that everything originated from a batch of mussels in the Naples area.

"Whilst in the past the population of Naples and its province was immunised from constant contact with an endemic virus since childhood, today many lack antibodies. Vaccination is essential."

Hepatitis A is a highly contagious infection that spreads via contaminated food, water, or close contact with an infected person. Symptoms include fever, fatigue, jaundice, and nausea, usually resolving within a few months, with vaccination being the primary prevention.

According to Travel Health Pro, symptoms are frequently mild or absent in young children, though the illness becomes increasingly severe with age. Recovery duration can range from weeks to months.

The site said: "As the most common mode of infection in travellers is consumption of contaminated food or water. The risk of acquiring hepatitis A can be reduced by ensuring good personal hygiene and following advice on the prevention of food and water-borne diseases."