Hawaii, South Dakota report cases of HAV

The Hawaii Department of Health recently announced that 31 cases of hepatitis A virus infection have been reported on Oahu that may be linked to food sources, while health officials in South Dakota have reported one case of hepatitis A in a restaurant food handler.

Hawaii’s health department originally reported on July 1 that 12 adults had become ill due to the infection, with six requiring hospitalization. The number of infected individuals now has grown to 31, and the department is unclear on the source of the infection, according to a press release.

Sarah Park

“Identifying the source of infection is a challenge,” Sarah Park, MD, FAAP, Hawaii state epidemiologist and chief of the health department’s disease outbreak control division, said in the release. “Hepatitis A has a long incubation period lasting anywhere from 2 weeks to as long as 50 days. Accurately recalling all of the foods consumed and locations visited during the period when infection could have taken place is challenging for many, especially those who are still feeling ill.”

The onsets of HAV in Oahu occurred from June 16 through June 27, according to the state health department.

The food handler at the Pizza Works restaurant in Custer, South Dakota, worked shifts between June 19 and July 5, according to a press release. The state’s Department of Health is urging patrons who dined at the restaurant during that period to contact their health care providers to determine if they should undergo vaccination or receive an injection of immunoglobulin to decrease their chances of contracting the virus.

HAV is found in the stool of people infected and is usually spread through the contamination of food and drinking water, as well as close personal or sexual contact. Thorough hand washing is the most effective way to prevent the spread of HAV.

Virginia Pressler, MD, health director, Hawaii Department of Health, said in the release people with HAV are highly contagious during the week before symptoms start.

“Since people are contagious before they feel ill, we are very concerned about the disease unknowingly being [spread] to others,” Pressler said.

Pressler’s department is working to identify the source of the infection by questioning the infected individuals. She said they also are working with clinicians to ensure they are notified of any more cases.

According to Park, “Health care providers have been informed and asked to notify us immediately if they have a patient they suspect may be infected. Treatment for hepatitis A infection is supportive only, and while most people will recover without complications, we are encouraging everyone to review their immunization record and talk to their health care provider about vaccination.”

For more information: http://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/hav/.