As Kentucky hepatitis cases rise, Lexington offers more clean needles

Lexington's needle-exchange program, which has collected more than 412,000 used needles, has added a second day with later hours to reach more people.

The program, which started Sept. 4, 2015, is now open 3-6 p.m. Wednesdays and 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Fridays in the Dr. Rice C. Leach Community Room at 650 Newton Pike, the Lexington-Fayette County Health Department announced Wednesday.

The free, anonymous program allows people to trade in used needles in exchange for new ones. Since its inception, 412,000 used needles have been collected for proper disposal, the health department said. An average of about 175 people use the program each Friday.

Now with a second day for its program, the health department hopes to better reduce the spread of HIV and hepatitis in Lexington.

Kevin Hall, communications officer for the local health department, said increased demand helped get the extra day added.

The Wednesday hours also will offer free testing for hepatitis C and HIV, along with on-site referrals to recovery programs, the health department announced.

"Adding the hours, including later hours, will give more people a chance to use the exchange," Hall said.

The changes come as the state is dealing with increases in hepatitis cases. According to a report from the state's health department last year, Kentucky led the nation in infection rate of hepatitis C, which is an infectious disease that primarily affects the liver.

Hepatitis A has been on an upswing in Kentucky, with 311 confirmed cases since Jan. 1, 2017, including an increase since August. More than 200 of the cases were found in Louisville, the health department said.

Hall said Fayette County has had just two hepatitis A cases, though neither are a part of the outbreak in the state.

In addition to Louisville, six counties have been affected by the hepatitis A outbreak in Kentucky — Ashland, Boyd, Carter, Greenup, Bullitt and Hardin. The state health department has urged people in those counties to get a hepatitis A vaccine.

The disease recently reached Western Kentucky, where McCracken County and Ballard County have had cases in recent weeks. Regional Epidemiologist Lindsey Cunningham told WPSD the area will only see more. "I don't think this is over," she said.

This Kentucky outbreak is spreading differently than in past years. The local health department's epidemiology coordinator Molly Roberts said most of the current outbreak's cases have been person-to-person transmissions, as opposed to infected food handlers or foodborne transmissions that are typically expected with outbreaks.

Maria Hardy, Public Health Director with Ashland-Boyd County Health Department, told WSAZ that everyone should receive the vaccine because the disease is preventable. The vaccine is typically given in two doses for adults, an initial vaccination and another shot six months later.

In December, a new state regulation required Kentucky students to provide proof of having the hepatitis A vaccine by the first day of school.

Hepatitis A is often spread when infected people do not wash their hands after going to the bathroom and then touch objects or others. Food workers at a McDonald's in Berea and two Waffle Houses in Boyd County were infected with the disease, exposing restaurant patrons to it.

This story was originally published April 18, 2018 at 12:22 PM with the headline "As Kentucky hepatitis cases rise, Lexington offers more clean needles."