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Thread: Heptitis A Outbreak in Nevada and South Carolina

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    Heptitis A Outbreak in Nevada and South Carolina

    https://www.wyff4.com/article/hepati...rants/28116201

    REENVILLE, S.C. ?
    Health officials trying to contain an outbreak of hepatitis A in South Carolina are warning customers of five restaurants that they might have been exposed.

    The state Department of Health and Environmental Control told news outlets that restaurant employees in Aiken and Hilton Head tested positive.


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    Other workers were found with the virus at restaurants in Lexington County, North Augusta and North Charleston in the last month.

    South Carolina declared a statewide outbreak in May.

    The restaurants are:

    Wild Wing Cafe in Lexington County
    Popeyes in Aiken
    Harbor Town Yacht Club in Hilton Head
    Teriyaki Japan in North Augusta
    Zaxby?s in North Charleston
    [ DHEC information on outbreak and restaurants involved ]

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    https://www.fox5vegas.com/news/local...25fa8a371.html

    Nevada

    LAS VEGAS (FOX5) -- The Southern Nevada Health District reported an outbreak of Hepatitis A within Clark County on Wednesday.

    According to the Health District, 37 cases of hepatitis A were reported between January 1 and May 31, 2019. Only 17 cases of the disease were reported in 2018. No cases of hepatitis A were reported in 2017.

    Of the 37 cases reported by the Health District, 86% were people who used drugs and 65% were among people experiencing homelessness. Health officials said those who are at an increased risk for hepatitis A are people who use drugs or are experiencing homelessness.

    Health District officials said the disease is commonly spread from person-to-person through the "fecal-oral route." Symptoms of hepatitis A include jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes), fever, fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, dark urine and light-colored stools.

    SNHD also shared other risk factors for hepatitis A:

    Men who have sex with other men
    People with chronic liver disease
    Those with an occupational risk for infection
    People who travel or work in countries where the disease is common
    People who have direct contact with those who've contracted hepatitis A
    Those with clotting-factor disorders
    Hepatitis A is treatable with vaccines, health officials said. Practicing good hygiene can also help prevent the transmission of hepatitis A. According to SNHD, washing hands thoroughly after using the bathroom, changing diapers, and before preparing or eating food can also help.

    “People who live in homeless encampments and have no access to running water are more likely to be contaminated and spread the disease to others,” said Dr. Vit Kraushaar, SNHD. “We’ve seen an increase in the number of acute hepatitis A cases ... The biggest risk factors are homelessness and people who use drugs especially in unhygienic places.”

    "This current outbreak of hepatitis A in our community is an unfortunate but important reminder of why vaccines are vital to both our individual and community health," said Dr. Joe Iser, Chief Health Officer of SNHD.

    Since March 2017, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has assisted multiple states and local health authorities in their responses to hepatitis A outbreaks, the Health District said.

    In Nevada, hepatitis A vaccines have been required for school entry since July 1, 2002. However, only about one-third of the population receiving services had a documented history of receiving the hepatitis A vaccine.

    According to health officials, SNHD is responding to the outbreak by using information from recent cases to identify and notify hospitals that have treated an increased number of hepatitis cases.

    “I’ve stayed in parks and sometimes schools when they are closed down,” Matthew Hinkson said. Hinkson has been in and out of homelessness in Las Vegas for about 5 years.

    “Right now, I’m fortunate enough to have someone let me in to their home to let me shower and clean up, but it’s challenging.”

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    https://wpde.com/news/local/sc-healt...eak-06-25-2019

    The South Carolina Dept. of Health and Environmental Control says the Hardee's on 451 Killian Road in Richland County has been linked to the statewide hepatitis A exposure.

    Customers who ate there between June 4 and June 20 may have been exposed by an infected worker,

    DHEC says the restaurant received an A rating during its last inspection on May 13.

    "This illness is not a foodborne outbreak. The concern is not the restaurant. It is with a food handler who has hepatitis A infection, and they can spread the virus up to two weeks before they know they are sick. The risk of the hepatitis A virus spreading from an infected employee to customers in a restaurant setting is low," DHEC said in the statement.

    Anyone who ate at the restaurant between June 10 and June 20 is recommended to contact their medical provider about vaccination.

    Anyone who may have exposed can contact DHEC’s Careline at 1-855-4SC-DHEC (1-855-472-3432).

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    http://www.fox13news.com/health/hill...atitis-a-cases

    TAMPA, Fla. (FOX 13) - Hepatitis a hit the Bay Area hard this year but there is finally some good news in the fight to curb the spread of the disease.

    The number of newly reported cases in Hillsborough County is going down and health workers are linking the trend to their push for vaccines.

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    Their efforts are working so well, the number of adults vaccinated since January more than tripled last month. A health department scientist says, while it’s good news, there’s still more work to do.


    Hillsborough County health workers made a big push for the vaccine.

    “It’s been probably the last six months that’s we’ve really ramped up the number of outreach events,” Florida Department of Health epidemiologist Mike Wiese said.

    It's working. Since January, Hillsborough County reported 103 cases of hepatitis A, averaging about four new cases a week.

    But the county only added five new cases in last three weeks.

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    Wiese said health workers have targeted areas and populations where the disease is more likely to spread, directly influencing the downturn in new cases.

    “We really have made a much greater effort to get out in those communities where we noticed the most cases,” Wiese said. “Our homeless communities, those who are using drugs, the recently incarcerated.”

    The highly contagious liver disease can spread when a person ingests the virus from food, drinks or objects contaminated with feces of an infected person who does not wash their hands after using the bathroom. It can also spread through close contact.

    “If it’s introduced into the wrong type of setting, it really can spread throughout the community,” Wiese said.

    Several restaurants made headlines this year for food service workers testing positive for the disease, prompting patrons to get the vaccine. However, Wiese said the number of cases associated with food consumption are very low.

    Still, vaccines are the only prevention.

    In January, Hillsborough County health workers gave 229 vaccines to adults. That number more than tripled by May, with 762 vaccines.

    “It shows all of the hard work that we’ve been doing in that we’ve been able to slow down the spread of that disease in the community,“ Wiese said.

    Hillsborough County health workers say they are giving roughly 200 vaccines a week and continue to focus on at-risk groups.

    The Bay Area has the most reported cases of hepatitis A in the state.

    In Pinellas County there have been 287 reported cases since January to date, averaging about 11 new cases per week. There were only 25 new cases reported in Pinellas County in the last three weeks, according to Florida Department of Health data.

    In Pasco County there have been 314 reported cases of hepatitis A to date, averaging about 13 cases a week. Florida - DOH data showed the county added 59 new cases in the last three weeks.

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    https://miami.cbslocal.com/2019/06/2...titis-a-cases/

    TALLAHASSEE (CBSMiami/NSF) – With 77 cases added last week, Florida has reported nearly three times as many cases of hepatitis A in 2019 as it did in all of last year.

    As of Saturday, the outbreak had resulted in 1,636 reported cases this year, up from 548 in 2018, according to information posted on the Florida Department of Health website.

    In the four previous years, the highest total was 276 cases in 2017. Pasco County continued to report the most cases in the state with 314, while Pinellas County had 287.




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    Orange County had 129 cases, Volusia County had 128 cases, Hillsborough County had 103 cases, and Marion County had 93 cases, the numbers show.

    Hepatitis A, which can cause liver damage, can be spread through such things as food or drinks that have been contaminated with fecal matter from people with the disease. Health officials have urged Floridians to get vaccinated against the disease.

    (?2019 CBS Local Media. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The News Service of Florida’s contributed to this report.)

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