Washington Declares Hepatitis A Outbreak With Cases In 4 Counties

SEATTLE, WA — Four counties in Washington are in the midst of a hepatitis A outbreak with 13 cases total confirmed in King, Snohomish, Spokane, and Pend Oreille counties, the state department of health said on Tuesday.

Washington's outbreak coincides with a national rise in hepatitis A cases. The disease is primarily hitting the homeless community and intravenous drug users, state officials said.

"Hepatitis A is a very contagious liver infection caused by the hepatitis A virus. It can range from a mild infection with no symptoms lasting a few weeks to a severe illness lasting several months that can result in liver failure and death," the state said in a press release.

Spokane County has the highest number of cases with nine. There are two cases in King County, and one each in Snohomish and Pend Oreille counties. Since 2016, almost 23,000 hepatitis A cases have been detected across 25 states, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Over 200 people have died.

King County health officials said that the latest case was confirmed in a homeless man who uses injection drugs. He has since recovered from the disease. His case is likely related to another case found confirmed in April in a homeless person, health officials say. There have been 11 other hepatitis A cases in the county this year, but those were not found in homeless people.

Health Officer Dr. Jeff Duchin said that the county could see more cases due to how long a person remains contagious.

"A match between the newly identified case and the case we reported in April indicates that there has been transmission of hepatitis A locally," he said in a statement. "It’s not unexpected that we would see additional cases linked to the April case given the infectious nature of hepatitis A and the relatively long contagious period for hepatitis A infections."

The county has been visiting homeless camps and shelters around the region over the last year to provide services like vaccinations and needle exchanges.

Hepatitis A spreads when people come into contact with infected stool, which means the disease can be acquired through food and drinks, as well as person-to-person contact. The hepatitis A vaccine is the most effective way to prevent infection, according to the CDC.