MOBILE, Ala. (WPMI) — As coronavirus cases continue to rise, Mobile County is also facing another outbreak: Hepatitis A.
The Mobile County Health Department says it’s a problem that isn’t going away.
“Hep A is a very big problem, and it looks like COVID in the first couple of days” said Dr. Scott Chavers, Epidemiologist with MCHD.
Dr. Chavers says different zip codes across the county are having outbreaks of the disease, and it’s hard to gain control.
Hepatitis A is vaccine-preventable, but Dr. Chavers says the concern is how infectious it is.
“It is spread through contaminated food due to eating, so you worry about restaurants for instance that would have a cook that is positive for hep A,” Dr. Chavers said, “but it could be spread in injection drug users.”
The disease has a long-term infection.
“COVID, you are over in ten days. Hep A infects the liver. So you look fine and five days later you turn yellow in your eyes. And it can be with you for years,” Dr. Chavers said.
Dr. Chavers says once the liver shuts down, overdoses will occur more easily.
Source: mynbc15
