KY: 2018/2019 Hepatitis A outbreak

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Source: https://www.courier-journal.com/stor...nty/520883002/

With 214 confirmed cases of hepatitis A in Louisville, officials recommend vaccines
Thomas Novelly, Louisville Courier Journal Published 3:34 p.m. ET April 16, 2018 | Updated 3:37 p.m. ET April 16, 2018

Amid a hepatitis A outbreak, the Department of Public Health is recommending vaccinations in Jefferson, Bullitt, Hardin, Greenup, Carter and Boyd counties.

There have been approximately 311 cases of hepatitis A throughout the state relating to the outbreak, a significant increase in a state that typically sees about 20 cases per year. 214 of them are from Jefferson County.

"DPH recommends all children, ages 1 year through 18, receive the hepatitis A vaccine as well as adults who want to protect themselves from an acute hepatitis A infection,? Jeffrey Howard, acting DPH commissioner, said in a statement. ?In these counties with local transmission of the hepatitis A virus, we recommend everyone be vaccinated per guidelines to help stop this outbreak.?...

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Source: http://wfpl.org/louisville-hepatitis...-what-to-know/

Here?s What You Should Know About Louisville?s Hepatitis A Outbreak
By Lisa Gillespie
March 13, 2018

Kentucky typically sees about 20 cases a year of hepatitis A. But so far this year, 132 cases have been reported in the Louisville area alone, according to the Louisville Department of Public Health and Wellness. Four new cases were reported over the weekend, and one person has died from the disease.

And Louisville is part of a bigger trend of outbreaks of hepatitis A across the country, including in Michigan, California and Utah. Louisville Metro Department of Public Health and Wellness Medical Director Lori Caloia said the hepatitis A virus found in Louisville is a close match to cases in California.

?There?s many theories behind how that may have happened, whether it was a person traveling here, a homeless person who migrated to this area,? Caloia said. ?But we don?t know.?...

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Source: http://www.wymt.com/content/news/Hep...476400363.html

Hepatitis A confirmed in Boyd County Jail
By WSAZ News Staff |
Posted: Fri 2:29 PM, Mar 09, 2018 |
Updated: Fri 2:34 PM, Mar 09, 2018

BOYD COUNTY, Ky (WSAZ) - Officials in Boyd County confirm an inmate at the Boyd County Detention Center has been diagnosed with Hepatitis A.

Judge Executive Steve Towler told WSAZ on Friday that an inmate was recently diagnosed with the highly contagious virus that can lead to liver infection.

Officials are not sure when exactly the inmate was diagnosed...

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Source: http://www.kentucky.com/news/state/a...204083929.html


Kentucky Waffle House customers are the latest exposed to Hepatitis A outbreak
By Mike Stunson
March 08, 2018 10:05 AM
Updated 5 hours 58 minutes ago

First Kroger customers, and now Waffle House patrons have been exposed to Hepatitis A during an outbreak in Kentucky.

An employee who worked at two Waffle House restaurants in Boyd County was diagnosed with Hepatitis A, according to the Ashland-Boyd County Health Department.

The window of possible exposure for the worker was Feb. 12 to 28, the health department said. It can take up to 50 days from exposure to the illness for symptoms to develop, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention...

...As of Tuesday, there were 150 cases of Hepatitis A in the state since 2017, and the number of cases were labeled an outbreak in November, according to the Kentucky Department for Public Health. It said 124 cases were reported in Jefferson County, with additional cases in Anderson, Boyd, Bullitt, Carter, Hopkins, Kenton, Leslie, Marion, McCracken, Russell, Spencer and Taylor counties.

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Source: https://www.courier-journal.com/stor...nty/394645002/


Outbreak: 100-plus cases of hepatitis A confirmed in Jefferson County
Beth Warren, Louisville Courier Journal Published 10:24 a.m. ET March 5, 2018 | Updated 1:57 p.m. ET March 5, 2018

An outbreak of hepatitis A has been confirmed in Jefferson County.

Health officials noted 115 cases from November through Friday, said Dave Langdon, spokesman for the Louisville Metro Department of Public Health and Wellness. One of those cases is an employee at a Kroger store on Dixie Highway, which prompted the grocery store chain to issue an alert Friday to shoppers who bought produce there from Feb. 4-28.

There are typically four or fewer cases in an entire year, Langdon said. "We don't know the exact cause."...

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Source: http://www.wdrb.com/story/37636486/e...tomers-at-risk

Employee of Louisville Kroger store diagnosed with Hepatitis A, potentially putting customers at risk
Posted: Mar 02, 2018 8:00 PM EST
Updated: Mar 02, 2018 10:38 PM EST

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- An employee in the produce department of the Kroger store at 4915 Dixie Highway has been diagnosed with Hepatitis A.

Kroger said the man worked at the store in Pleasure Ridge Park in February, and customers who bought produce between Feb. 4 to Feb. 28 may have been exposed to the virus. Any produce purchased during that time frame should be thrown away, Kroger said.

The employee worked third shift in the produce section and was diagnosed with Hepatitis A on Feb. 28 at a visit to the doctor. He immediately notified his supervisor, and Kroger notified the Health Department later that day, the company said...

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Source: http://www.wpsdlocal6.com/2018/02/23...eak-continues/


Kentucky hepatitis A outbreak continues
February 23, 2018
WPSD Staff

MCCRACKEN COUNTY, KY ? A multi-county outbreak of hepatitis A that includes McCracken County is still ongoing, the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services says.

The the Kentucky Department for Public Health is now reporting 117 cases of hepatitis A in the state. Most of those cases are in the Jefferson County/Louisville area, but other cases have been found in McCracken County, as well as Boyd, Bullitt, Carter, Hopkins, Leslie, Marion and Taylor counties.

For comparison, the 10-year average number of acute hepatitis A cases has been approximately 20 cases per year in Kentucky.

The health cabinet says lab specimens for some cases in the outbreak have been sent for specialized genetic testing of the hepatitis A virus at the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta to see if Kentucky?s cases are associated with outbreaks in other states. At this point, the cabinet says, 38 cases from 45 specimens match outbreaks in San Diego, California, and Salt Lake City, Utah...

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Source: http://www.wdrb.com/story/37550055/k...hit-louisville


Kentucky officials say outbreak of Hepatitis A has hit Louisville
Posted: Feb 20, 2018 4:30 PM EST
Updated: Feb 20, 2018 4:30 PM EST
By Travis Kircher

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A rare virus has become an outbreak in Louisville -- and now there's a new effort to stop it from spreading.

The Kentucky Department for Public Health declared an outbreak of acute Hepatitis A in November, with the majority of cases in Louisville. Since then, Louisville has seen nearly 90 cases. In a typical year, there are one to four...