On June 27, Kentucky confirmed its worst hepatitis A outbreak since 1988. Since then, the outbreak has been considered one of the largest in the country, causing 1,100 illnesses and eight deaths.
In Louisville, 540 people were treated for hepatitis A. Of those infected, 338 were hospitalized.
Doug Thoroughman, PhD, a CDC epidemiologist, praised Louisville’s response and action to the outbreak.
“Louisville has set the gold standard for responding to the hepatitis A outbreak and set [the] standard for the rest of the country,” he told WDRB.com.
Sarah Moyer, MD, director of the Louisville Metro Department of Public Health and Wellness, attributes the hepatitis A outbreak to poor hand hygiene practices. “While we’re seeing some signs the outbreak may be slowing, there are still too many who are catching the disease that can be prevented,” Dr. Moyer told WDRB.com.”
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