TDH: Hepatitis A outbreak turns deadly, cases have increased, vaccinations urged

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Tennessee Department of Health (TDH) says a Hepatitis A outbreak in the state it reported earlier in the year has taken a deadly turn.

One person has died from the communicable disease, and the TDH says there are now more than 400 confirmed cases in the state, mainly in the Chattanooga and Nashville areas.

TDH spokesman Elizabeth Hart confirms to NewsChannel 9 that the death occurred in East Tennessee, and that it happened since the outbreak was reported earlier this year.

“We are very saddened by the recent death associated with hepatitis A and realize unfortunately, we could see more deaths, as this continues to be a very serious outbreak with more than half of the people identified with the illness needing hospitalization,” said TDH Commissioner John Dreyzehner, MD, MPH. “We will continue to respond aggressively, vaccinating high risk populations, educating and working with partners in and out of Tennessee to seek additional ways to stem this outbreak.”

Tennessee’s hepatitis A outbreak is linked to a large, multi-state outbreak that began in 2017. This outbreak is primarily affecting recreational drug users and people experiencing homelessness.

TDH says Hepatitis A is a vaccine-preventable, communicable disease of the liver caused by the hepatitis A virus. It is usually transmitted from one person to another through contact with contaminated feces or consumption of contaminated food or water. The most at-risk groups for hepatitis A include recreational drug users, men who have sex with men and people experiencing homelessness. Many of the hepatitis A cases in the current outbreak are associated with recreational drug use.

“More than 36,000 doses of hepatitis A vaccine have been provided to those most at risk in our state and I believe this massive effort has made a huge difference in reducing the number of hepatitis A cases,” said TDH Assistant Commissioner for Communicable and Environmental Diseases and Emergency Preparedness Tim Jones, MD. “We urge anyone in the high risk groups to get vaccinated as soon as possible, and will continue to work with state and local partners to provide hepatitis A vaccine to people at high risk for infection and educate people on how to prevent the spread of this disease.”

Steps to prevent infection with hepatitis A include washing hands with soap and water after using the bathroom, before eating and before preparing or serving food. TDH says you should get vaccinated if you are at high risk for getting hepatitis A. The vaccine can protect you after a single dose.

More information about hepatitis A and Tennessee’s response to this outbreak can be found here.

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