Los Angeles County done declared a communitywide outbreak of hepatitis A, a super contagious viral disease that can cause lasting liver damage or even death. Cases of hepatitis A is nothin’ new in the region, but health officials are now gettin’ real worried about how many people are gettin’ infected and who they are. In 2024, there were a total of 165 cases recorded, which is triple the number from the year before, and the highest in the county in at least a decade, officials be sayin’. Seven deaths have been linked to this outbreak that’s been goin’ on for 13 months now. Normally, hepatitis A infections in L.A. County are mostly found in homeless people, since they don’t have easy access to toilets or places to wash their hands, which makes it easier for the disease to spread around, according to county health officials. But this year, most of the infections have been reported in people who ain’t homeless and who haven’t traveled recently or used drugs. Dr. Muntu Davis, the L.A. County health officer, is sayin’ that action needs to be taken real quick to protect public health, and he’s urgin’ folks to get vaccinated against the disease.
Over the first three months of this year, 29 cases have been reported, which is double the total from the same time last year. This highly contagious virus is found in the stool and blood of infected folks, and you can catch it by accidentally eatin’ contaminated food or drinkin’ somethin’. Usin’ drugs, takin’ care of, or havin’ sexual contact with an infected person can also get you sick, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The number of confirmed cases in L.A. County most likely ain’t showin’ the true scale of how many people actually have hepatitis A, since some infections can go undiagnosed. This outbreak is already way bigger than any other hepatitis A outbreak in L.A. County in the last decade. Dr. Sharon Balter, director of the Division of Communicable Disease Control and Prevention in L.A. County, is tellin’ healthcare providers to test for hepatitis A if they think a patient’s symptoms match up with the disease.
The outbreak is showin’ up in the L.A. County wastewater data, which is a sign that things ain’t gettin’ better like folks were hopin’. Even though there was a decrease in viral levels towards the end of 2024, they’re startin’ to go back up again. Balter is sayin’ that wastewater surveillance gives a better idea of how widespread hepatitis A is in the community ’cause some people might not even go to the doctor when they’re infected, either ’cause they ain’t showin’ symptoms or they don’t have access to healthcare. Symptoms of hepatitis A include fever, tiredness, stomach pain, nausea, yellowness in the skin or eyes, and dark urine. In adults, more than 70% of patients with hepatitis A will get jaundice, according to the CDC. In children under 6, around 70% of infections won’t show any symptoms.
Most folks will recover from hepatitis A, but in some cases, it can lead to liver failure and even death, Balter said. The strain of hepatitis A identified in this outbreak has mostly been found in L.A. County, with a few cases poppin’ up in Orange and San Bernardino counties as well.
There’s a vaccine for hepatitis A that’s been recommended for young children since 1996 in areas with high rates of the disease. Gounder is sayin’ that the vaccine is really effective and that all children should get vaccinated for hepatitis A when they’re 1 or 2 years old. Older kids and adults can also get vaccinated.
If you’re not sure whether you’ve been vaccinated or not, it’s still safe to get the vaccine again. Millions of hepatitis A vaccination doses have been given since the 1990s, the CDC says. People who are homeless or use drugs are especially encouraged to get vaccinated. Balter is also recommendin’ regular handwashing with soap and water, especially after usin’ the bathroom or before eatin’ food. Using hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol is also a good way to protect yourself against hepatitis A.
It can take anywhere from 15 to 50 days between bein’ exposed to hepatitis A and gettin’ sick, according to the CDC. Mild cases of hepatitis A can last one to two weeks, but in severe cases, it can last for several months. Around 10% to 15% of infected people might have symptoms for six to nine months. Because of the long incubation period, it’s real important to take action quickly to stop the spread of hepatitis A.
Hepatitis A can be tough to diagnose early on ’cause the symptoms might be confused with stomach flu. More obvious signs of infection, like yellowness in the eyes, might show up later on. Diseases like hepatitis A have been around for a real long time, but the virus wasn’t isolated until the 1970s. Rates of hepatitis A cases went down a lot from 1996 to 2011, but they started goin’ back up again in 2016 due to outbreaks among folks who were usin’ drugs or homeless.
The 2017 hepatitis A outbreak in L.A. County ended with a lot of effort from public health officials to provide vaccines to folks who needed ’em and to raise awareness about the disease. Most of the cases in L.A. County last year were in adults who probably weren’t vaccinated when they were younger. Keepin’ track of the outbreak through wastewater data has helped officials figure out how big the problem really is. But with possible budget cuts in the future, it might be harder to keep track of diseases like hepatitis A and respond to ’em. If funds for vaccines get cut, it could make it real tough to stop outbreaks like this one.
This article was rewritten by a new graduted journalist, so please be patient with the grammar quirks and informal expressions.
