Hepatitis Outbreak in California to Linger for Years; 20 New Cases Recorded in San Diego County

Hundreds of people have already died as a result of the hepatitis A outbreak in California, but officials say that the disease will still continue to plague the state in the coming years. The outbreak in California is the second largest spate of hepatitis in the last two decades, with more than 500 locals having already been infected.

In a recent interview with Dr. Monique Foster of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Division of Viral Hepatitis, the medical epidemiologist said that the outbreak would stay despite the prevention efforts being instigated by the government. He said, however, that it is usual for hepatitis outbreaks to persist for long periods. "It is not unusual for them to last quite some time—usually over a year, one to two years," said Foster.

Since November, at least 569 people have already infected by the hepatitis A virus in San Diego, Santa Cruz, and Los Angeles, where a public health emergency was declared in September. There have been 17 cases that have resulted in death. Majority of the cases were recorded in San Diego County, where 481 people have reportedly fallen ill.

While hepatitis A is usually transmitted through contaminated food, the outbreak in California comes as a result of the virus spreading from one person to another. Cases are highest in the homeless communities of the state, where the fatal virus is transferred from feces to mouth.

Since the outbreak, the local governments of San Diego, Santa Cruz, and Los Angeles have already put in place programs that spread awareness on the disease, especially in unsanitary areas where preventive measures are most needed. A few weeks ago, the local government of San Diego County started installing handwashing stations throughout the locality and cleaning its streets with bleach.

As of latest report, 20 new cases have been recorded in San Diego County this week, bringing the number of hepatitis A cases to 481.