Statewide hepatitis A outbreak reaches the Delaware County jail
Douglas Walker
MUNCIE, Ind. – A statewide hepatitis A outbreak has made its way into the Delaware County jail.
Delaware County Sheriff Tony Skinner said Thursday his office and the county’s health department had coordinated a “quick response” to the outbreak detected this month.
As of last week, Indiana had 989 confirmed cases of hepatitis A, including seven in Delaware County. An unspecified number of those local cases involved inmates at the jail, the sheriff said.
Delaware County Health Department staff in recent days has provided vaccinations “to all interested corrections staff at the jail” and “inmates within the block housing the HAV-infected individuals,” the sheriff said in a release.
Vaccinations for the jail’s other inmates were expected to be completed Thursday, “well within the deadlines prescribed by the (Indiana State Department of Health) for individuals who may have been exposed,” Skinner said.
Jammie Bane, administrator of the county health department, said the “quick action and teamwork between the (health department), nursing staff and (the sheriff and his corrections staff) has been critical in providing an effective response in an effort to quickly stop the spread of this outbreak in our jail.”
Skinner said the health department’s “timely response to this issue has undoubtedly prevented further infections within the jail.”
The hepatitis A virus is considered highly contagious and can cause serious liver damage. The infection can range from a brief, mild illness to one that is much more serious, capable of lasting for several months.
While it can be spread by contaminated food or water, all indications are local cases were the result of person-to-person contact, the release said.
Keys in fighting the spread of the virus include frequent and thorough hand washing, and the prompt reporting of any symptoms – which can include diarrhea, fever, vomiting, fatigue and joint pain – to medical personnel.
In response to the statewide outbreak, the Delaware County Health Department last year provided vaccinations to “interested jail staff and inmates,” and partnered with the state health department to offer HAV vaccinations to homeless citizens in Delaware County.
Douglas Walker is a news reporter at The Star Press. Contact him at 765-213-5851 or at dwalker@muncie.gannett.com.