COLUMBUS – The state health department is recommending that people with certain risk factors receive a hepatitis A vaccine as the number of cases in Ohio has risen.
The Department of Health said Thursday there have been 47 reported cases in Ohio this year, compared with five cases during the same period in 2017.
Ohio has not yet experienced a hepatitis A outbreak, defined as at least two cases linked to a common exposure source but health department spokeswoman Megan Smith says some Ohio cases are linked to these outbreaks the neighboring states of Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan and West Virginia and people at at high risk are encouraged to get a vaccine.
“The best way to prevent hepatitis A among high-risk individuals is to get vaccinated. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends the hepatitis A vaccine for all children at age one and for at-risk individuals,” ODH medical director Dr. Clint Koenig said.
The health department says people most at risk of contracting the disease include those in contact with someone who’s infected with the disease, men who have sex with men, street drug users, and people with blood clotting disorders or chronic liver disease.
Hepatitis A is a liver disease typically spread by ingesting even microscopic amounts of fecal matter from objects, food or drinks.
Symptoms of hepatitis A include fatigue, low appetite, stomach pain, nausea, clay-colored stools and jaundice. People with hepatitis A can experience mild illness lasting a few weeks to a severe illness lasting several months.