Brought to you by WBIW News and Network Indiana
Last updated on Sunday, August 5, 2018
(BEDFORD) - Monroe County is now part of a multi-state hepatitis A outbreak.
There are currently 5 cases in Monroe County.
The hepatitis A outbreak in Indiana is now at 334 confirmed cases. Last week, the state reported 298 cases. There has been one death and 149 hospitalized.
Lawrence County has one new case, bringing the number to 46.
Other local counties are also seeing increases with Washington County now with 16 and Orange County with 13 confirmed cases. In the surrounding area Clark County reported 68 cases, with Floyd County at 44 and Wayne County at 45.
More than 54,971 vaccines have been dispensed -- a number that includes public and private doses. According to the state report, 2,485 vaccines have been given in Lawrence County.
Transmission is presumed to occur person to person; no contaminated commercial food product has been identified. Based on CDC guidelines, populations who are homeless, transient, incarcerated or use illicit drugs and their close direct contacts are considered at increased risk of exposure to hepatitis A.
If you believe you have been exposed to hepatitis A or are homeless, use injection or non-injection drugs, were recently incarcerated, or had contact with someone who has hepatitis A, contact your healthcare provider about hepatitis A vaccine.
To reduce the risk of hepatitis A transmission, people who have not received two doses of hepatitis A vaccine may ask their healthcare providers for protection. Additionally, always wash your hands with soap and water after going to the bathroom, after changing diapers and before preparing meals for yourself and others. Do not attend work or school if you are experiencing symptoms of hepatitis A, which include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite, tiredness, stomach ache, fever, dark-colored (cola) urine, light-colored stool and jaundice (yellowing of skin and eyes). Symptoms may take as many as 50 days from exposure to appear.
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