San Diego County hepatitis A outbreak tops 540 cases

The San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency on Tuesday increased the tally of hepatitis A cases related to an ongoing outbreak to 544, marking an eight-case increase from the week prior.

The number of hospitalizations related to the outbreak increased by three from the week prior to 372. The increase in cases and hospitalizations are modest compared to previous weeks, which may be indicative of a slowdown. In August, there were 94 total new hepatitis A cases, compared to 81 in September and 31 in October, according to a report from The San Diego Union-Tribune.

Health officials started investigating the outbreak — which has been linked to 20 deaths — in early 2017. The outbreak has had an outsized effect on the county's homeless and illicit drug using populations.

Symptoms of hepatitis A infection include abdominal pain, low-grade fever, nausea, fatigue and jaundice. The virus is highly transmissible and most often spread via contact with fecal matter from an infected individual.

To learn more about hepatitis A, click here.

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