CDC Updates Reported Cases of Hepatitis A Across Country

CDC updated their information on the nationwide Hepatitis A outbreak.  In August of this year, CDC reported 24, 280 cases.   Since that time, 1,200 more cases have been recorded, with the total at 25,484.

Interesting, California, one of the first states to report (and has a huge homeless population), had declared their outbreak over in 2018.

https://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/outbreaks/2017March-HepatitisA.htm
Widespread person-to-person outbreaks of hepatitis A across the United States

At A Glance
Since the outbreaks were first identified in 2016, 30 states have publicly reported the following as of September 6, 2019

• Cases: 25,484
• Hospitalizations: 15,330 (60%)
• Deaths: 254

When hearing about hepatitis A, many people think about contaminated food and water. However, in the United States, hepatitis A is more commonly spread from person to person. Since March 2017, CDC’s Division of Viral Hepatitis (DVH) has been assisting multiple state and local health departments with hepatitis A outbreaks, spread through person-to-person contact.

The hepatitis A vaccine is the best way to prevent HAV infection
•The following groups are at highest risk for acquiring HAV infection or developing serious complications from HAV infection in these outbreaks and should be offered the hepatitis A vaccine in order to prevent or control an outbreak: ◦People who use drugs (injection or non-injection)
◦People experiencing unstable housing or homelessness
◦Men who have sex with men (MSM)
◦People who are currently or were recently incarcerated
◦People with chronic liver disease, including cirrhosis, hepatitis B, or hepatitis C

•One dose of single-antigen hepatitis A vaccine has been shown to control outbreaks of hepatitis A and provides up to 95% seroprotection in healthy individuals for up to 11 years.1,2
•Pre-vaccination serologic testing is not required to administer hepatitis A vaccine. Vaccinations should not be postponed if vaccination history cannot be obtained or records are unavailable.

CDC has provided outbreak-specific considerations for hepatitis A vaccine administration.