34 Cases Of Hepatitis Confirmed In Nashville Outbreak

NASHVILLE, TN-- Hepatitis A continues to spread in Nashville's on-going outbreak, with now 34 confirmed cases, the health department said, with officials continuing to emphasize it's likely to continue for months. The department is now ramping up vaccination efforts aimed at the most at-risk groups.

"Metro Public Health Department staff, working with multiple community partners, continue to plan additional opportunities to offer the hepatitis A vaccine to the at-risk communities," said Rachel Franklin, Interim Director of Communicable Disease and Emergency Preparedness. "This week we added three vaccination clinics to reach people experiencing homelessness. Our staff vaccinated nearly 200 among the at-risk group at last weekend's PRIDE Festival and we are planning additional locations to offer the vaccine in the coming weeks to reach the MSM (men who have sex with men) community."

After confirming the outbreak the health department began offering free vaccinations to illegal drug users, people who are homeless and men who have sex with men, groups that have a higher risk of contracting the liver infection. Free vaccines are available at all three Health Centers - East at 1015 East Trinity Lane, Lentz at 2500 Charlotte Avenue and Woodbine at 224 Oriel Avenue. The immediate priority is the aforementioned at-risk groups and the health department emphasized that all illicit drug users, not just those who use injectable drugs, are at-risk.

Metro Health received an initial shipment of 1,000 doses of the hepatitis A vaccine from the state last month, followed by an additional 750 doses. The health department said the state has more doses available as needed.

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Hepatitis A is a vaccine-preventable liver disease caused by the hepatitis A virus. Common symptoms include fever, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, dark urine, jaundice and clay-colored stools. The disease can be severe in some people possibly requiring hospitalization, but most recover completely within a few weeks.
Hepatitis A usually spreads when a person unknowingly ingests the virus from objects, food, or drinks contaminated by small, undetected amounts of stool from an infected person. Hepatitis A can also spread from close personal contact with an infected person such as through sex or caring for someone who is ill.

Health officials began offering hepatitis A vaccinations June 9 to inmates and staff alike at Davidson County Sheriff's Office facilities and that effort should be completed by the end of the week, the health department said. Going forward, the vaccine will be offered when a person is booked. In addition, all inmates are now screened for the disease before they are taken to court dates or appointments and those showing signs or symptoms are held in isolation until they are cleared by medical staff.

The health department and homeless commission are working together to vaccinate people who are homeless and will offer five more clinics county-wide:

• June 29, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., Room in the Inn, 705 Drexel Street
• June 29, 9 to 11 a.m., Caldwell Park, 4905 Edmonson Pike
• July 2, 9 to 11 a.m.: City Road Chapel United Methodist Church, 701 Gallatin Road South
• July 6, 9 a.m. to noon: Community Care Fellowship, 511 South at 8th Street
• July 9, 2 a.m. to 6 p.m., Nashville Rescue Mission, 668 Lafayette Street

An agreement with Neighborhood Health has been established to provide hepatitis A vaccine to those in the three at-risk groups. Neighborhood Health locations and hours of operation are as follows:

• Downtown Clinic, 526 8th Avenue South (adjacent to the Room in the Inn campus) 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday
• Madison Clinic, 601 W. Due West Avenue 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday
• My House Clinic, 442 Metroplex Dr. Building D, Suite 200 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Thursday and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday

Image via Centers for Disease Control and Prevention