Public Health officials in Los Angeles County have declared an outburst of hepatitis A, an extremely contagious liver infection driven by a virus that can, in rare cases, cause serious illness.
The situation, which is usually recognized in less than 50 people in LA county each year, was infected at least 138 people in 2024 and the cases remained unusually high by 2025.
Here’s what to know.
How is hepatitis A transmitted?
Hepatitis A virus spreads through the so -called oral path, which means it is received through foods or drinks infected with tiny pieces of stool by an infected person. It can also spread through close contact with someone who carries the virus, even if they do not have symptoms.
Silent people are often at greater risk of contributing to hepatitis A because they have limited access to appropriate toilets and handwashing facilities. The virus is also more common among travelers in places with poor drainage, men who have sex with men and people using drugs.
However, officials say that many of the recent cases have happened to people without these risk factors. They do not know yet why, but Dr. Timothy Brewer, a doctor of infectious diseases and an epidemiologist in UCLA, said he had led him to worry about two things: food contamination and community circulation.
“If you exercise good hygiene to a community that has access to drinking water, you really don’t have to see many of them,” he said. “Something is happening – but exactly what is something, we don’t know yet.”
What are the symptoms of a hepatitis A infection?
The first signs of infection can be very similar to a classic stomach error: fever, fatigue, nausea and loss of appetite, followed by vomiting and diarrhea. Over time, people infected can also experience yellowing skin and eyes, dark urine and pale faeces.
One of the challenges to stop the epidemic of hepatitis A is that contact detection can be almost impossible. The infection can be incubated for up to seven weeks before the symptoms occur and a person carrying the virus can spread it for up to two weeks before they feel sick.
In addition, a significant proportion of people infected do not have major symptoms, said Dr. Edward Jones-Lopez, a specialist infectious disease with Keck Medicine of the University of Southern California, so they do not visit their doctor, who in turn does not perform blood test.
Severe symptoms are more common in elderly adults, people with chronic liver conditions and people with weakened immune system or HIV in rare cases, a hepatitis A infection may be fatal. In this outburst, at least seven people have died. This may seem like an unusually high mortality rate, but officials believe that many more people have been infected than the official numbers show. Most were probably asymptomatic or showed that the symptoms are mild enough to be mistakenly recognized.
How is hepatitis A treated?
There is no specific anti -exit medication for hepatitis A. The infection is usually resolved in itself within a few weeks and most people do not have constant liver damage. But for some, hospitalization may be necessary.
In rare cases, infection can be transferred to an acute hepatic impairment called inflammatory hepatitis, which may require transplantation, said Dr. Jones-Lopez. “It can go a long way, very quickly – this is a very serious illness.”
If you think you may be infected, be sure to visit your doctor, drink a lot of liquids and get sufficient rest.
How can I avoid it?
The best way to avoid hepatitis A infection is through vaccination. The figure – two doses of vaccine, at least six months – provides protection for life. Children have been usually given for the last two decades, but many adults 25 or older have not taken the shots unless they were in a high -risk group.
The fact that the outburst occurs outside the traditional populations “emphasizes the need to reassess how – and where – we aim for prevention efforts,” said Dr. Anne Rimoin, a professor of epidemiology in UCLA, since “an infection wherever is potentially an infection”.
If you are not vaccinated, but you know that you have been exposed to a person carrying the virus, a direct vaccination may prevent your infected. Experts say that some people with a weakened immune system exposed could also benefit from intake of immunoglobulin as well. And good hygiene is a wise protective measure for everyone. Wash your hands with soap and water, especially after using the bathroom, and before preparing the food.
