AKRON, Ohio — Summit County Public Health has issued a warning on the alarming increase in hepatitis A cases reported this year.
According to the department, 32 cases have been reported within the county in 2019, with 19 of those cases linked to the nationwide outbreak.
Hepatitis A community outbreaks have been reported in 18 states since 2016. The Ohio Department of Health declared a statewide outbreak in early 2018. Since then, 2,044 cases have been reported with 1,259 hospitalizations and seven deaths.
Summit County Public Health also says drug misuse has increased in 2019 hepatitis A cases, indicating that hepatitis A is circulating within the Summit County population.
Hepatitis A is transmitted through contact with objects and food contaminated with fecal matter, or via close person-to-person contact with an infected individual.
Symptoms of hepatitis A include:
- Yellow skin or eyes
- Fatigue
- Loss of appetite
- Stomach pain
- Dark urine
- Joint pain
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Fever
