San Diego

Hep A Cases in Colorado, Arizona Linked to San Diego

Cases in Colorado and Arizona have been linked to the San Diego County Outbreak

Health officials in Colorado say two cases of Hepatitis in that state stem from the outbreak in San Diego, according to a published report. 

The Denver Post quotes state epidemiologist Rachel Herlihy as saying that two of that state’s 58 reported cases of Hepatitis A were linked to San Diego. 

Earlier this month, an Arizona report stated one person who traveled from San Diego has been linked to a Hep A outbreak in Maricopa County.

Nineteen people have died in the San Diego County Hepatitis A outbreak.

From November 22 through Oct. 19, there have been 516 confirmed cases have been reported in the county with 40 cases pending confirmation. Twenty new cases are reported per week on average, officials said. 

The mean age of a Hepatitis A patient in San Diego County is 43 years old, according to Public Health Officer Wilma Wooten, MD, MPH.

Of the people who have died in the outbreak, 10 were homeless. One used illicit drugs. Three were both homeless and illicit drug users.

However, two neither used drugs or were considered homeless, according to county health officials.

As of October 24, 128 cases have no connection to homelessness or illicit drug use, Wooten said. 

Hepatitis A is spread person-to-person through contact with a fecal-contaminated environment, according to the San Diego County Health and Human Services. 

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