A statewide community outbreak of Hepatitis A has been declared in Ohio. According to officials with the Ohio Department of Health, there have been 79 reported cases in 2018 so far, which is double the entire amount from 2017.
Locally, there have been 3 cases reported in Ross County, ODH reports.
“Good hand-washing and vaccination are the best ways to prevent hepatitis A in at-risk individuals,” said Sietske de Fijter, state epidemiologist and chief of the ODH Bureau of Infectious Diseases.
“If you or someone you know has one or more risk factors for hepatitis A, call your local health department to see about getting vaccinated.”
ODH officials said that Hepatitis A is a vaccine-preventable liver disease that usually spreads when a person ingests fecal matter from contact with objects contaminated by the stool of an infected person; symptoms include fatigue, low appetite, stomach pain, nausea, clay-colored stools and jaundice.