GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Kent County has been added to the state of Michigan’s hepatitis A outbreak jurisdiction.
Kent County Health Department officials say that a fourth case of hepatitis A has been confirmed in a resident. That fourth case was diagnosed within 100 days of the last diagnosis, so that puts Kent County in the outbreak designation. The designation means that there is a potential for transmitted the disease in the county.
Since August 1, 2016, there have been 899 cases of hepatitis A reported in Michigan. Hepatitis A is an infection of the liver and is caused by a virus. It is spread by eating or drinking contaminated food or water, or having sex or close contact with an infected person. People at the most risk of hepatitis A are the homeless, users of illegal drugs, men who have sex with men and people with underlying liver disease. People with high risk of getting hepatitis A should get vaccinated.
For vaccine information, call the Kent County Health Department at 616-632-7200.
