Hepatitis A outbreak confirmed in Carroll County

CARROLL COUNTY, Ga. - Public health officials have confirmed 46 cases of hepatitis A among Carroll County residents.

The 46 hepatitis A cases in Carroll County occurred between April 1, 2020 and November 16, 2020.

According to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), Georgia is one of 29 states experiencing an outbreak of the highly contagious liver infection.

Since January 1,2020, 562 cases of hepatitis A have been confirmed statewide, officials said. Of these, 65 have been in District 4 Public Health with 46 in Carroll County.

Public health officials are urging vaccination against the highly contagious liver infection for people most at risk of the vaccine-preventable disease, especially illicit (injection and non-injection) drug usersand their close contacts.

Officials are also encouraging all persons who work in food-service establishments, such as restaurants and cafeterias, to be vaccinated.

"What we know is that individuals at risk for Hepatitis A may also be at risk for HIV and; if left untreated, may subsequently become at-risk for AIDS which is the end stage of thevirus without treatment. To this end, we are providing both Hepatitis A vaccines and HIV rapid-testing for free in a one-stop shop,” says Hayla Folden, public information officer for District 4 Public Health.

A Free Hepatitis A Vaccination and HIV Testing event will be held at the Carroll County Department of Community Supervision from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Thursday, December 3, 2020.

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