Madison County declares Hepatitis A outbreak

The Madison County Health Department has declared an outbreak of Hepatitis A following a large increase in cases in the county this month.

There are now 24 Hepatitis A cases in Madison County related to the statewide outbreak that produced more than 2,050 across Kentucky, the county health department said.

As of Sept. 29, there were nine cases in Madison County, according to state health department data. It reported 13 cases on Oct. 6, so there have been 11 new cases in an 18-day span.

The Madison County Health Department recommended Hepatitis A vaccinations for all residents.

“We have always known that Madison County would eventually declare outbreak status due to the nature of the statewide situation, which is why we have been so proactive in our efforts to vaccinate the at-risk populations in the county,” Madison County Public Health Director Nancy Crewe said. “Those efforts should have a mitigating effect on the severity of the outbreak. We certainly don’t think there is any need for panic, but it is important that we get the word out to our citizens and encourage them to get the vaccine.”

More than 1,100 people have been hospitalized because of the statewide outbreak since November 2017, according to the state health department. Fourteen patients died.

Hepatitis A is a contagious liver disease that is often spread when someone eats or drinks something contaminated by small amounts of stool from an infected person, according to the health department.

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.

Aside from the vaccination, good hand-washing is also recommended to help control the spread of Hepatitis A.

The Hepatitis A vaccination is given in two doses six months apart and is available from medical providers and many pharmacies in Madison County, according to its health department.

In September, the Fayette County Health Department began encouraging its residents to get vaccinations after the number of cases in the county continued to climb.

As of Oct. 6, there were 25 cases of Hepatitis A in Fayette County.

This story was originally published October 24, 2018 at 11:18 AM.