Brought to you by WBIW News and Network Indiana
Last updated on Sunday, August 12, 2018
(BEDFORD) - The hepatitis A outbreak in Indiana is now at 364 confirmed cases. Last week, the state reported 334 cases. There has been one death reported and 161 people were hospitalized.
Lawrence County has two new cases, bringing the number in the county to 48.
Other local counties are also seeing increases with Monroe and Jackson Counties with 5, Orange County with 15 and Washington County 17 confirmed cases. In the surrounding area, Clark County reported 69 cases, with Floyd County at 44 and Wayne County at 60.
More than 56,841 vaccines have been dispensed -- a number that includes public and private doses. According to the state report, 2,577 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 for exposure to appear.
1340 AM WBIW welcomes comments and suggestions by calling 812.277.1340 during normal business hours or by email at comments@wbiw.com
© Ad-Venture Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved.