Minnesota Health Officials Declare Hepatitis A Outbreak
There's a hepatitis A outbreak in Minnesota, according to health officials. The disease is spread by unsanitary conditions and can cause severe liver damage.
According to The Star Tribune, there have been 13 people hospitalized, and 23 people sickened. No one in Minnesota has died yet from the outbreak, but the recent amount of cases is cause for concern.
These outbreaks can last months or even years, and officials are urging vaccinations for high risk groups, such as homeless shelters and prisons.
Hepatitis A has the ability to linger on surfaces for long periods of time. It spreads by people not washing their hands well enough and then spreading the virus to others or surfaces where others come in contact.
The vaccine is in a limited supply, and officials are using the emergency declaration to get it to those higher at risk. Hepatitis A infections tend to clear up in weeks or months and are not chronic infections, however they can cause liver failure in worse cases. It can be deadly.