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Hepatitis A outbreak hits 10-times yearly average: Health officials

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The London-area health unit is working to stomp out a hepatitis A outbreak as it closes out 2018 with a case number nearly ten times higher than they’d usually see in a year.

The Middlesex London Health Unit has had 29 confirmed cases of the virus as of the end of November. Of those, 27 are not travel related.

In an average year, the health unit expects to encounter three travel-related cases of the virus.

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“That increase in case number, given what we’ve seen in prior months, isn’t a surprise to us,” associate medical officer of health Alex Summers said. “Hepatitis A, in the environments in which we’re seeing it . . . is fairly readily transmissible and we know that cases will show up at different times despite being exposed at the same time.”

The health unit made a public appeal Nov. 6 after encountering 16 confirmed cases of non-travel-related hepatitis A. The number of cases nearly doubled by the end of November. Most of the incidents were among homeless people or people who use drugs.

Though hepatitis A is present in the community, Summers said the chance of infection for people who aren’t in the high-risk groups is low.

The first non-travel-related case of hepatitis A case was reported to the health unit in July. Since then, the public health watchdog has sent alerts to health care providers, staff at shelters and people who work with the homeless population so they know to watch for the signs and symptoms of hepatitis A.

The agency also has administered more than 700 vaccines to people in contact with known hepatitis A patients and people who are at high risk for contracting the disease.

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“We’ve been trying to ensure that vaccination rates are as high as we can get them amongst people who are at risk,” Summers said. “We’ve had a number of community clinics in shelters, for example, and our temporary overdose prevention site and in some other environments.”

Hepatitis A is a liver infection that can be transmitted through contaminated food and water or through close contact with an infected person.

People travelling to parts of the world where sanitation and food preparation may not be up to modern standards are urged to get the vaccine.

Many people who contract the virus may not feel ill. For those who do, common symptoms include fatigue, nausea, abdominal pain and fever. In some individuals, a hepatitis A infection can lead to severe illness that may last several months.

“People get very sick and many require hospitalization,” Summers said. “The risks are significant, particularly for those who have other underlying medical conditions who aren’t able to handle an infection like this very easily.”

Middlesex-London Hepatitis A outbreak

  • 29 cases in 2018 as of Nov. 30
  • Health unit typically sees an average of three travel-related cases annually
  • First case reported in July
  • More than 700 vaccines administered since first case reported
  • Primarily affecting homeless and drug-using population
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