The number of hepatitis A cases in Lawrence County and the state continues to grow.
So far, 298 confirmed cases have been attributed to the outbreak in Indiana, with one death and 136 hospitalizations, according to a weekly report by the Indiana State Department of Health.
In Lawrence County, there have been 45 confirmed cases related to the outbreak.
Clark County has reported the most cases with 66, followed by 43 in Floyd County, 31 in Wayne County, 14 in Washington County, 13 in Harrison County, 10 in Orange County, eight in Elkhart County, seven in Allen County, six in Marion County and five in Kosciusko County.
Since November 2017, the Indiana State Department of Health has been investigating an outbreak of hepatitis A. The state typically averages 20 cases of hepatitis A in a year.
Transmission is presumed to occur person to person. Based on CDC guidelines, populations who are homeless, transient, incarcerated or use illicit drugs and their close direct contacts are considered at increased risk for exposure to hepatitis A.
To reduce the risk of transmission, people should consider getting the hepatitis A vaccine. Also, people should always wash their hands with soap and water after going to the bathroom, after changing diapers and before preparing meals for yourself and others.
There have been 52,506 vaccines administered in the state since Jan. 1, including public and private doses. In Lawrence County, 2,353 vaccines have been given this year.
Symptoms of hep A include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite, tiredness, stomach ache, fever, dark-colored urine, light-colored stool or jaundice. Symptoms make take as many as 50 days from exposure to appear. Do not attend school or go to work of you are experiencing symptoms.