In a follow-up on the hepatitis A outbreak in Florida in 2018, state health officials reported 147 cases from 22 counties in December to bring the annual total to 559 in 31 counties.
West Central and Central Florida, the Tampa-St. Petersburg area and the Orlando area, respectively recorded the most cases. 96% of cases (534) have likely been acquired locally in Florida.
Cases likely acquired in Florida share several common risk factors including drug use (both injection and non-injection drugs), identifying as men who have sex with men, and recently experiencing homelessness.
The most commonly identified risk factor was drug use, reported by 263 (49%) of the 534 cases acquired in Florida. Injection drug use was just as common a risk factor as non-injection drug use.
Health officials say in 2018, 99 (18%) of 559 total cases of hepatitis A were epidemiologically linked to other cases.
Talking Hepatitis A with Dr Amesh Adalja
In 2018, 386 (72%) cases likely acquired in Florida have been hospitalized because of their hepatitis A infection, and 2 cases have died as a direct result of hepatitis A infection.
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The Florida Department of Health remind us that the best way to prevent hepatitis A infection is through vaccination. In 2018, 97% of people with hepatitis A had never received a documented dose of hepatitis A vaccine.
Hepatitis A vaccine is recommended for all children at age 1 year and for certain high-risk groups of adults including illegal drug users and men who have sex with men (MSM).
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