The 2019 United States hepatitis A outbreak was an occurrence of several declared

outbreak In epidemiology, an outbreak is a sudden increase in occurrences of a disease when cases are in excess of normal expectancy for the location or season. It may affect a small and localized group or impact upon thousands of people across an entire ...

s of the disease,

hepatitis A Hepatitis A is an infectious disease of the liver caused by ''Hepatovirus A'' (HAV); it is a type of viral hepatitis. Many cases have few or no symptoms, especially in the young. The time between infection and symptoms, in those who develop them ...

, in locations in the United States including substantial instances in the states of

Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia to ...

Mississippi Mississippi () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States, bordered to the north by Tennessee; to the east by Alabama; to the south by the Gulf of Mexico; to the southwest by Louisiana; and to the northwest by Arkansas. Miss ...

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

, and the city of

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

, as well as an isolated food-related occurrence in

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

. As of October 2019, over 26,000 cases and 268 deaths were reported, with the largest number occurring in Kentucky, with over 4,000 cases. The U.S.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is the national public health agency of the United States. It is a United States federal agency, under the Department of Health and Human Services, and is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgi ...

identified the outbreak as a continuation in a rise in the number of hepatitis A cases beginning in 2016. According to the CDC: The outbreak has been worst in areas with high incidence of drug use, poor

sanitation Sanitation refers to public health conditions related to clean drinking water and treatment and disposal of human excreta and sewage. Preventing human contact with feces is part of sanitation, as is hand washing with soap. Sanitation systems ...

, and

homelessness Homelessness or houselessness – also known as a state of being unhoused or unsheltered – is the condition of lacking stable, safe, and adequate housing. People can be categorized as homeless if they are: * living on the streets, also kn ...

. Countermeasures to the outbreak have included vaccination campaigns at both state and federal levels. On August 1, 2019, the Philadelphia Department of Health declared the hepatitis A outbreak to be a public health emergency, advising persons at risk to be vaccinated for the disease, and offering free vaccinations for those in contact with infected persons. Florida Lieutenant Governor

Jeanette Núñez Jeanette, Jeannette or Jeanetta may refer to: * Jeanette (given name), a given name (including a list of people and fictional characters with the name) Places * Jeannette, Ontario, Canada * Jeannette Island, Russia * Jeannette, Pennsylvania, U.S ...

tweeted "We urge

vaccination Vaccination is the administration of a vaccine to help the immune system develop immunity from a disease. Vaccines contain a microorganism or virus in a weakened, live or killed state, or proteins or toxins from the organism. In stimulating ...

and stress the importance of washing your hands regularly". In New Jersey, it was announced in August 2019 that a food handler employed at the Mendham Golf and Tennis Club, in Mendham, New Jersey, had become infected with hepatitis A, and was deemed likely to be responsible for 27 other people becoming ill with the disease, one of whom died.

References

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External links

City Declares Public Health Emergency to Address Rise in Hepatitis A
Philadelphia Department of Health (August 1, 2019)

Florida Department of Health (August 1, 2019)
State of Florida Department of Health Declaration of Public Health Emergency
(August 1, 2019)

Mississippi State Department of Health (July 30, 2019) Hepatitis outbreaks 2019 disasters in the United States 2019 disease outbreaks Hepatitis A Disease outbreaks in the United States