Take precautions against Hepatitis A

What if I were to tell you that you could be apart of an outbreak? Would you change how you live everyday? Well, it may be something to think about as a Hepatitis A outbreak has been identified in Indiana. There have been 104 confirmed cases this year, according to the Indiana State Department of Health. This number is eye opening because the state usually reports only 20 cases per year, and the number of 104 confirmed cases is more than five times the yearly average.

Hepatitis A is a disease that attacks the liver and is caused specifically by the Hepatitis A virus (HAV). Symptoms include: fever, fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, stomach pains, diarrhea, dark urine or jaundice. These usually occur two to six weeks after exposure to the virus. It is spread from person to person through contact with an infected person. It can also be spread from eating or drinking contaminated food or water. This transmission is called fecal-oral transmission, and this is a result of coming into contact with fecal material either from person or a contaminated material.

More specifically, one may have contracted Hepatitis A if: they have traveled to a country where Hepatitis A is common; they are a man who has sex with other men; they have or currently use illegal drugs; they have a chronic liver disease such as Hepatitis B or C; or they have been treated for clotting-factor concentrates. If you have any symptoms or any of these behaviors apply, please contact your healthcare provider immediately.

The current outbreak is a result of being tied closely to the outbreak in Louisville, Kentucky, that has crossed the border into southern Indiana counties. The outbreak has the majority of cases in Clark and Floyd counties as those are the neighboring counties of Louisville, Kentucky. There are no confirmed cases in Montgomery County, but our neighboring Hendricks County has five confirmed cases. It is important to be wary of contact between people who are infected with Hepatitis A. This outbreak is being spread between people and is not attributed to a specific food source.

Luckily, Hepatitis A is preventable. There is a Hepatitis A vaccination available to children and adults. Usually children under over two years old have been vaccinated. One dose of the vaccine is 94 percent effective in preventing Hepatitis A, and a second dose of the vaccine is 99 percent effective in preventing Hepatitis A. The second dose is all that is needed for life-long protection. Proper washing and rinsing of fresh fruits and vegetables can prevent contraction of Hepatitis A from consuming fecal contaminated foods; however, in this outbreak, that is not the case. The Montgomery County Health

Department suggests being up to date on your Hepatitis A vaccination and to wash and rinse fresh fruits and vegetables to prevent the spread of Hepatitis A.

If you have any questions, contact your primary healthcare provider or the Montgomery County Health Department at 765-364-6440.

Owen Doster, Wabash College ‘20, is serving an internship with the Montgomery County Health Department. He contributed this guest column.