Public health officials in the county of Los Angeles have declared a highly contagious hepatitis A outdoor outbreak, a virus that can, in rare cases, cause serious diseases.
The condition, which is generally identified in less than 50 people in the county of La County Los Angeles, infected at least 138 people in 2024 and the cases have remained unusually high so far in 2025. The officials say that the levels of the virus in the local waste water suggest that these figures are underestimated.
Here's what to know.
How is hepatitis transmitted?
The hepatitis A virus spreads through the so-called oral-fecal path, which means that it is ingested through food or drinks that have been contaminated by pieces of microscopic feces by an infected person. It can also spread in close contact with someone who transports the virus, even if they do not show any symptoms.
Useful people are often at greater risk of contracting hepatitis A because they have limited access to adequate toilets and hand washing structures. The virus is also more common among travelers in places with poor hygiene, men who have sex with men and people who use drugs.
But officials say that many of recent cases have occurred in people without those risk factors. They still don't know why, but dr. Timothy Brewer, an UCLA's contagious disease doctor and epidemiologist, said he had led him to worry about two things: food contamination and community circulation.
“If you are practicing good hygiene in a community that has access to drinking water, you shouldn't really see much of this,” he said. “Something is happening, but exactly what is something, we don't know it yet.”
What are the symptoms of a hepatitis A infection?
The first signs of the infection can look a lot like a classic stomach insect: fever, fatigue, nausea and a loss of appetite, followed by vomiting and diarrhea. Over time, the people who infect themselves can also experiment with yellowed skin and eyes, dark urine and pale stools.
One of the challenges to stop anpatitis A is that the contact track can be almost impossible. The infection can incubate up to seven weeks before the symptoms appear and a person who transports the virus can spread it up to two weeks before they feel bad.
Furthermore, a significant part of people who infect themselves do not experience important symptoms, said dr. Edward Jones-Lopez, a specialist of infectious diseases with Keck Medicine of the University of Southern California, therefore do not visit their doctor, who in turn does not perform a blood test and reports the case.
Serious symptoms are more often observed in older adults, people with chronic liver conditions and those with weakened immune systems or HIV on rare occasions, a hepatitis A infection can be fatal. In this outbreak, at least seven people died. It may seem like an unusually high mortality rate, but officials believe that many people have been infected with respect to official numbers. Most have probably been asymptomatic or shown quite slight symptoms to have been erroneously identified.
How is hepatitis treated?
There are no specific antiviral drugs for hepatitis A. The infection usually resolves itself in a few weeks and most people are not found to lasting lasting damage. But for some, hospitalization may be necessary.
In rare cases, the infection can turn into an acute hepatic insufficiency called fulminating hepatitis, which can request a transplant, said dr. Jones-Lopez. “It can progress very, very quickly – is a very serious disease.”
If you think you can be infected, be sure to visit your doctor, drink many liquids and rest adequate.
How can I avoid it?
The best way to prevent a hepatitis A infection is through vaccination. The regime – two doses of vaccine, at least six months later – provides life protection. It has been regularly given to children in the last two decades, but many adults from age or over 25 years have not obtained the shots unless they were in a high -risk group.
The fact that the epidemic is taking place outside of traditional populations “underlines the need to re -evaluate how – and where – we target prevention efforts”, said Dr. Anne traile, professor of epidemiology at the UCLA, since “an infection wherever is potentially an infection everywhere”.
If you are not vaccinated but you know you have been exposed to a person who transports the virus, a rapid vaccination can prevent you from infected. Experts say that some people with weakened immune systems that are exposed may also benefit from the reception of immunebulin. And good hygiene is a wise protective measure for everyone; Wash your hands with soap and water, especially after using the bathroom and before preparing the food.