FRESNO, CA (KMJ) – Governor Jerry Brown issued an emergency proclamation on Friday, October 13th to increase the state’s supply of hepatitis A vaccines.
There are 576 cases of hepatitis A here in California, 386 cases hospitalized, and 18 people have died.
Dr. Gil Chavez, the California Department of Public Health’s Epidemiologist, says Santa Cruz, San Diego and Los Angeles are the most heavily impacted by the current outbreak but not so here in the Central Valley.
“We have no, ah, at the present time concerns with outbreaks or Hepatitus A in the Central Valley – This is a good time to remind people that Hepatitus A occurs regularly in the state irrespective of outbreaks.” – Dr. Gil Chavez, CDPH Epidemiologist.
Dr. Chavez says this strain of hepatitus A is not known to cause more serious disease.
The viral infection mainly affects the liver with symptoms including an ill feeling, nausea and yellowing of the skin.
Hepatitus A is not airborne it is transmitted by touch from a contaminated environment, and seen mainly in areas where there is a lack of sanitation.
So far, the Department of Public Health has already distributed 81,000 doses of the vaccines.
Click below to listen to the report by KMJ’s Liz Kern:
