Lexington hepatitis A cases double in one month. Some patients had no risk factors.

The amount of hepatitis A cases in Lexington more than doubled in one month, according to new data from the Lexington-Fayette County Health Department.

Lexington had 13 confirmed hepatitis A cases in September, increasing the total number of Fayette cases to 24 in the statewide outbreak, the health department said.

Sept. 11, the health department advised all Lexington residents to get hepatitis A vaccinations because the number of the cases in the county, region and state continued to climb.

“The best way to prevent hepatitis A is to get vaccinated,” Fayette Commissioner of Health Dr. Kraig Humbaugh said. “The vaccine is effective and has an excellent track record. However, most adults have not yet been immunized since the vaccine was not given routinely as part of their childhood schedule of shots.”

Of the 24 total cases in the city, 13 were from drug use, four were homeless people involved with drug use and two were people who were in contact with a homeless person affected, according to Kevin Hall, communications officer for the local health department.

He added that four of the cases had no risk factors, “so it’s important for everyone in the community to be aware of the need for the hepatitis A vaccine.”

The vaccine is given in two doses six months apart and is available from some medical providers and many pharmacies in Lexington, the health department said. It’s also available at the health departments’ Public Health Clinic by appointment. Call 859-288-2483 to schedule an appointment.

As of Sept. 22, there have been 1,851 cases of hepatitis A in the state since November. The number includes 1,029 hospitalizations and 14 deaths, according to state health department data.

Symptoms of hepatitis A include fever, fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea, abdominal discomfort, dark urine and yellowing of the skin and eyes. People can become ill 15 days to 50 days after being exposed to the virus, the health department said.

The disease is “usually spread when a person unknowingly eats or drinks something contaminated by small amounts of stool from an infected person,” according to the health department.

The Mayo Clinic and the Centers for Disease Control report there isn’t a treatment for hepatitis A, which eventually leaves the body on its own. “The liver heals within six months,” Mayo said. Some patients’ symptoms, including nausea, are treatable. Some severe cases with more problems require hospitalization. Liver failure can lead to death.

This story was originally published October 4, 2018 at 10:12 AM.