CLARK COUNTY — The Clark County Health Department is investigating recent cases of Hepatitis A, including cases at Henryville Elementary School and the Clark County jail.
Dr. Eric Yazel, the county’s health officer, said there have been 25 cases since last December, and expects to confirm two more cases. Eleven of those cases were reported at the Clark County jail and two at Henryville Elementary. The cases are being investigated by the county health department, the Indiana State Health Department, the jail and West Clark Community Schools.
Hepatitis A is a viral infection of the liver.
It is highly contagious and is generally transmitted via fecal-oral routes or through consumption of contaminated food or water, according to a news release.
Yazel said a jail population proposes particular challenges for containing a “highly contagious pathogen.” Inmates possibly exposed to Hepatitis A were notified and encouraged to be tested, Yazel said. In January, the department helped administer vaccinations to 490 inmates.
When someone tests positive for Hepatitis A, Yazel said the person is interviewed so health officials can try to pin down how the person contracted the virus and who else could have been exposed. In the jail’s case, officials try to follow up with inmates after they’ve been released, but Yazel said they can be hard to track down.
The health department continues to work to identify and notify individuals who may have been exposed.
“The Clark County Health Department is working closely with all parties involved to protect the health, safety and well-being of our community,” Yazel stated in the release.
The cases in Clark County are in part being linked to the outbreak in Louisville where over 130 cases have been confirmed. Yazel said injection drug use is also a risk factor for Hepatitis A.