576 Hepatitis A Cases, 3 Deaths, In GA As Outbreak Expands

ATLANTA, GA — Health officials are reminding Georgia residents of how to prevent the spread of Hepatitis A as an outbreak expands and includes three deaths in the state. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has also been investigating the outbreak that has hit 29 states.

The virus is typically transmitted from person-to-person when it is ingested from objects, food or drinks contaminated by a stool from an infected person, according to health officials. This can happen when infected people do not wash their hands properly after using the bathroom and then touch food or items that are shared with others. Someone preparing food can be a source of outbreaks, as well as cooked foods that are not heated to temperatures capable of killing the virus during preparation (185 degrees F for one minute) and foods that are contaminated after cooking, the CDC says.

Hepatitis A can also spread from close personal contact with an infected person, such as through sex or caring for someone who is ill.

Nearly 60 percent of the infections have occurred in Northwest and North Georgia as well as the Augusta area, the Georgia Department of Public Health said this spring. As of Aug. 10, the agency has confirmed 576 cases of Hepatitis A, and of those 391 patients have been hospitalized.

The most recent food handling case noted by authorities came in Bartow County after a worker at Willy's Mexicana Grill in Cartersville was diagnosed with the disease. Anyone who ate at the restaurant between May 31 and June 17 could be at risk.

The restaurant told WSB that all employees were vaccinated and the building was sterilized after the diagnosis was confirmed.

“Hepatitis A is spreading among Northwest Georgia residents,” said Dr. Zachary Taylor, interim health director for the Northwest Health District, “and we need to stop it. The best way to prevent hepatitis A is to practice good hygiene, proper handwashing, careful and sanitary preparation of food, and by getting vaccinated against the hepatitis A virus.”

State health officials encourage everyone who works in food-service establishments, such as restaurants and cafeterias, to get vaccinated.

Most adults with hepatitis A have symptoms including fever, fatigue, low appetite, stomach pain, nausea and jaundice, that usually resolve within 2 months of infection; most children less than 6 years of age do not have symptoms or have an unrecognized infection, according to the CDC.

Other signs and symptoms of hepatitis A virus include vomiting, dark urine, diarrhea, clay-colored bowel movements and joint pain.

Hepatitis infections can be prevented by vaccination, the GDPH said. Practicing good hand hygiene, including handwashing after using the bathroom, changing diapers, and when preparing or eating food, also aids in preventing the spread of the disease.

• All children at 1 year of age
• Men who have sex with men
• Illicit drug users (injection or non-injection
• Household members and close personal contacts of persons with hepatitis A infection
• Persons experiencing homelessness
• Travelers to countries where hepatitis A is common
• People with chronic liver disease, including hepatitis B and/or hepatitis C

For more information about hepatitis A, visit the Georgia Department of Public Health or the Centers for Disease Control.

Acute hepatitis A is a reportable condition in Georgia and should be reported immediately to your local District Public Health Office or by calling 1-866-PUB-HLTH (1-866-782-4584).