SPREADING

Kentucky Hepatitis A Outbreak Is Now Worst in the Nation

While other states are experiencing outbreaks, Kentucky’s is the most severe, with nearly 1,000 infected.

Almost 1,000 people have contracted hepatitis A in Kentucky, making the state’s outbreak the worst in the nation. The Louisville Courier-Journal reports that 969 people have contracted the liver disease, which has has killed six in the state so far. “It’s the worst on record across the nation and in Kentucky,” said Dr. Jeff Howard, Kentucky commissioner of public health. The outbreak was first detected in Louisville last fall, where 482 people are now infected. Officials say over half of the state’s cases have been linked to drug use, and the outbreak could be linked to other states’ current hepatitis A outbreaks. The virus can be spread through touching food, drink, or surfaces “contaminated by feces or stool from an infected person.”