Hepatitis A Outbreak In SE Michigan: 5 Facts To Know For Prevention, Treatment

METRO DETROIT, MI — Last week, Oakland County health officials said an outbreak of Hepatitis A has killed 10 people since August 2016 and 190 cases of the disease have been confirmed in the city of Detroit, and Macomb, Oakland, Wayne, and St. Clair counties. It’s a 10-fold increase, something health officials are taking very seriously.

Ages of the reported Hepatitis A cases range from 21 to 86 years, with an average age of 44 years. Two-thirds of the cases (66 percent) are men, and nearly nine out of ten (87 percent) have been hospitalized. While no common source of the outbreak such as contaminated food or water has been identified, transmission does appear to be person-to-person through illicit drug use, sexual activity, and close contact among household members.

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Here are five things to know about Hepatitis A, according to the National Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:

What is Hepatitis A?
Hepatitis A is a contagious liver disease that results from infection with the Hepatitis A virus. It can range in severity from a mild illness lasting a few weeks to a severe illness lasting several months. Hepatitis A is usually spread when a person ingests the virus from contact with objects, food, or drinks contaminated by feces or stool from an infected person.

How common is Hepatitis A in the United States?
In 2014, there were an estimated 2,500 acute hepatitis A infections in the United States.

How is Hepatitis A spread?
Hepatitis A is usually spread when the Hepatitis A virus is taken in by mouth from contact with objects, food, or drinks contaminated by the feces (or stool) of an infected person. A person can get Hepatitis A through:

• Person to person contact
• when an infected person does not wash his or her hands properly after going to the bathroom and touches other objects or food
• when a parent or caregiver does not properly wash his or her hands after changing diapers or cleaning up the stool of an infected person
• when someone has sex or sexual contact with an infected person. (not limited to anal-oral contact)
• Contaminated food or water
• Hepatitis A can be spread by eating or drinking food or water contaminated with the virus. (This can include frozen or undercooked food.) This is more likely to occur in countries where Hepatitis A is common and in areas where there are poor sanitary conditions or poor personal hygiene. The food and drinks most likely to be contaminated are fruits, vegetables, shellfish, ice, and water. In the United States, chlorination of water kills Hepatitis A virus that enters the water supply.

Who is at risk for Hepatitis A?
Although anyone can get Hepatitis A, in the United States, certain groups of people are at higher risk, such as those who:

• Travel to or live in countries where Hepatitis A is common
• Are family members or caregivers of a recent adoptee from countries where Hepatitis A is common
• Live with someone who has Hepatitis A
• Are men who have sexual contact with other men
• Use illegal drugs, whether injected or not
• Have clotting-factor disorders, such as hemophilia
• Have sexual contact with someone who has Hepatitis A

I think I have been exposed to Hepatitis A. What should I do?
If you have any questions about potential exposure to Hepatitis A, call your health professional or your local or state health department. If you were recently exposed to Hepatitis A virus and have not been vaccinated against Hepatitis A, you might benefit from an injection of either immune globulin or Hepatitis A vaccine. However, the vaccine or immune globulin must be given within the first 2 weeks after exposure to be effective. A health professional can decide what is best on the basis of your age and overall health.

Photo by Spencer Platt / Staff / Getty Images News / Getty Images