SD Counties Hepatitis A Breakout Happening Now
A health epidemic is sweeping San Diego, infecting 228 people, hospitalizing 161, and killing five since its initial detection in November 2016. It is an outbreak of hepatitis A – the largest such event in nearly 20 years. Hepatitis A is a viral liver disease transmitted by ingesting contaminated food and water or through contact with an infected person. The majority of people infected thus far have been in San Diego’s homeless population. Get the facts on this ongoing outbreak.
The Source of the Outbreak
Hepatitis A relates to lack of hygiene and proper sanitation. People can transmit the virus when they share food and drinks with dirty hands. Sharing drugs can also spread hepatitis A. Researchers have yet to pinpoint where the outbreak in San Diego began, but they know this infection often begins with someone using the bathroom, failing to cleanse his/her hands, and then touching food or water. Tainted agricultural products can also lead to the spread of the infection, but county health experts have found no tainted product in relation to the recent outbreak.
San Diego’s homeless population has little to no access to soap or clean, warm water – making them most at risk of contracting hepatitis A. In light of the recent influx of hepatitis A cases in the city, officials are installing free hand-washing stations near areas homeless people frequent. Health organizations are also handing out pamphlets and spreading awareness of the problem. So far in 2017, the number of cases in San Diego is 700% higher than the county’s typical annual average.
County supervisor Ron Roberts is working with healthcare workers to distribute free Hepatitis A Prevention Kits, which contain sanitation products like plastic bags and hand sanitizer. Some people have speculated that the decrease in disposable plastic bags since California’s ordinance has contributed to the ongoing epidemic. The homeless population may now be reusing old, dirty plastic bags due to a drop in availability. This may be partly why the infection has spread rapidly throughout the area. The county’s public health officer, Dr. Wilma Wooten, says plastic bags haven’t come up during her team’s investigation.
About Hepatitis A
When someone contracts hepatitis A, the virus enters the body and attacks the liver, causing serious illness. Unlike other forms of hepatitis, hepatitis A does not cause chronic liver disease. Most people fully recover from this infection and then have lifelong immunity. However, some infected people may die from fulminant hepatitis, or severe impairment of liver function. Acute liver failure due to the infection can lead to death. Since the virus can affect food and water, epidemics can be explosive. San Diego county officials hope to control the spread before it affects any more lives.
Symptoms of hepatitis A include fever, nausea, diarrhea, loss of appetite, abdominal pain, and dark-colored urine. Not everyone with the infection experiences these symptoms. It can take weeks to months for someone with hepatitis A to recover. In the meantime, the individual may have to miss school, work, and other daily activities. This disease can have a significant social and economic impact. If restaurants come in contact with the infection, it can lead to the establishment temporarily closing down.
There is a vaccination for hepatitis A. Since the start of the most recent outbreak, the county has administered more than 4,200 vaccinations for the infection. The county hopes to control the spread of the infection through education, vaccination campaigns, and prevention kits. Homeless advocates are pushing for 24/7 shower facilities and more portable toilets, as well as other, more innovative measures to help the homeless. If you’re worried about your family contracting the infection during the current San Diego epidemic, visit your doctor and ask about the vaccine.