The Los Angeles County Public Health Department declared a hepatitis A outbreak Monday after a steady increase in reported cases and elevated virus levels detected in wastewater.
Health officials confirmed 165 hepatitis A cases countywide last year, a three-fold increase compared with 2023’s total.
People experiencing homelessness have a higher risk for contracting hepatitis A because of often limited access to hand-washing and restroom facilities, according to the health department. However, most of the 29 cases confirmed so far this year have been among people without travel or housing risk factors.
This rise in hepatitis A cases among lower-risk individuals has accompanied recent increases of the virus in wastewater, officials said, adding that while the risk to the public remains low, protection measures are needed to make sure transmission is reduced.
Vaccination and good hygiene are the best ways to stop the spread, according to Public Health.
“The ongoing increase in hepatitis A cases signals that quick action is needed to protect public health,” LA County Health Officer Muntu Davis said in a statement. “The hepatitis A vaccine is safe, effective, and offers long-term protection. Getting vaccinated is simple, and it’s one of the most important things you can do for your own health and the health of our entire community. It is also important for residents to wash their hands with soap and water regularly and especially before eating and preparing food and after using the bathroom.”
Public Health officials monitor for and immediately investigate suspected cases and have asked health care workers to remain vigilant for hepatitis A. The department is also working with organizations that serve unhoused individuals to educate the community about the outbreak and virus, encourage vaccination and recommend those with infection symptoms seek medical care.
The hepatitis A vaccine usually is a two-dose vaccination series that according to Public Health “is safe, highly effective in preventing infection, and has been routinely given to children for over a decade.” The department “strongly encourages” vaccines for any county resident who did not previously receive a hepatitis A vaccine and wants protection from the virus and people experiencing homelessness or who use drugs, including substances that don’t require injection.
For maximum protection, two doses of the vaccine administered at least six months apart is required, health officials said. Previously unvaccinated people can receive the immunization soon after virus exposure to reduce the chance of developing an infection.
A list of places that offer the vaccine, which is available from most health care providers, is at publichealth.lacounty.gov/ip/docs/Public_HepA_Referral.pdf. Uninsured or underinsured residents can get the vaccine at county clinics.
Public Health’s mobile units offer free vaccines to people experiencing homelessness in encampments and at interim housing sites where there is risk of virus exposure.
Officials said residents should also follow hygiene practices, such as washing hands with soap and water before eating and preparing food and after using the restroom.
Hepatitis A is a highly contagious viral infection of the liver that ranges from a mild symptoms lasting a few weeks to a severe illness that lasts several months, according to the health department. Symptoms include fever, weakness, fatigue, nausea, loss of appetite, jaundice — yellowing of the skin or eyes, stomach pain, vomiting, dark urine, pale stools and diarrhea. Although rare, hepatitis A can cause death.
Hepatitis A usually spreads when a person unknowingly ingests the virus from objects, food or drinks contaminated by small, undetectable amounts of an infected individual’s stool, officials said.
For questions or to find a local clinic or doctor, the Public Health InfoLine is available at 833-540-0473 daily from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
More information is at ph.lacounty.gov/HepA.
