Madison County health officials are declaring a hepatitis A outbreak in central Kentucky.
Health Department Public Information Officer Jim Thacker says 24 cases have been reported since November of last year with 15 cases in October. “A lot of them are the high risk category patients, who either have been involved in illicit drug use or have issues with homelessness, however not all of them are. Some have been folks from just the general population who have no known risk factors,” said Thacker.
Thacker says none of the Hepatitis A cases have been foodborne related. But, he admits that risk still persists in the community. In addition to the vaccine, thorough hand washing for at least 20 seconds is recommended. Thacker says hand sanitizers don’t kill the liver affecting disease.
Health officials have been offering hepatitis A vaccinations with high risk groups for months. Now, Thacker says the recommendation expands vaccination to include all Madison County residents. He says vaccines are being offered at a number of pharmacies. Some pharmacies are offering to come to a site to offer the first of two doses for groups exceeding 20 people.?
