There is a hepatitis A outbreak in Louisville. The outbreak was declared in November of 2017. As of August 14, 2018, there have been 580 cases and 5 deaths associated with this outbreak.
The Louisville Metro Department of Public Health and Wellness continues to work to control an outbreak of acute hepatitis A that has centered in the city’s homeless, people with unstable housing, and among those who with any illicit drug use (not just injection drug use).
Hepatitis A is a vaccine-preventable, communicable disease of the liver caused by a virus. It is usually transmitted person-to-person through the fecal-oral route or consumption of contaminated food or water.
The best way to prevent hepatitis A infection is to get vaccinated. As of August 7, 2018 approximately 80,000 people living in our region have been vaccinated by us and our community partners.
