Ohio hepatitis A outbreak tops 1,300 in 2018

Ohio state health officials declared a hepatitis A outbreak last June and at the time, 79 outbreak cases were reported.

As 2018 came to a close, the Ohio Department of Health (ODH) reported 1,311 cases, which included 821 hospitalizations and four fatalities.

Sixty-six of the 88 Ohio counties saw cases in 2018 with Butler (240), Montgomery (180) and Franklin (129) counties reporting the most.

Outbreaks of hepatitis A are occurring in several states across the U.S., including neighboring states of Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan and West Virginia.

Hepatitis A is a vaccine-preventable liver disease that usually spreads when a person ingests fecal matter – even in microscopic amounts – from contact with objects, food or drinks contaminated by the stool of an infected person. Hepatitis A can also be spread from close personal contact with an infected person, such as through sex.





People at increased risk for hepatitis A in this outbreak include:

People with direct contact with individuals infected with the virus

Men who have sex with men

People who use street drugs whether they are injected or not

People who are incarcerated

People experiencing homelessness

People who have traveled to other areas of the U.S. currently experiencing outbreaks

Health officials say people who believe that they are at high risk for hepatitis A infection should contact their healthcare provider or local health department for information about vaccination.