Los Angeles County Public Health officials declared an epidemic of hepatitis A, a very contagious liver infection driven by a virus which can, in rare cases, cause a serious illness.
The condition, which is generally identified in less than 50 people in the county of the each year, infected at least 138 people in 2024 and that the cases remained unusually raised in 2025. Managers claim that the levels of viruses in local wastewater suggest These figures are a sub-account.
Here's what you need to know.
How is hepatitis transmitted?
The hepatitis A virus propagates by the so -called fecal road, which means that it is ingested by food or drinks that have been contaminated by microscopic bits of stools of an infected person. He can also spread by close contact with someone who carries the virus, even if he has no symptoms.
Non -logical people are often more at risk of contracting hepatitis A because they have limited access to appropriate toilets and hand washing facilities. The virus is also more common in travelers in places with poor sanitation, men who have sex with men and people who consume drugs.
But officials say that many of the recent cases have occurred in people without these risk factors. They do not yet know why, but Dr. Timothy Brewer, doctor and epidemiologist of infectious diseases at the UCLA, said that it had led him to worry about two things: food contaminationand community circulation.
“If you practice good hygiene in a community that has access to drinking water, you should really not see many,” he said. “Something is happening – but exactly what something is, we don't know yet.”
What are the symptoms of hepatitis A infection?
The first signs of the infection may look much like a classic stomach insect: fever, fatigue, nausea and loss of appetite, followed by vomiting and diarrhea. Over time, infected people can also experience yellowed skin and eyes, dark urine and pale stools.
One of the challenges to interrupt an epidemic of hepatitis is that tracing contacts can be almost impossible. Infection can incubate up to seven weeks before the appearance of symptoms, and a person carrying the virus can spread it up to two weeks before feeling sick.
In addition, a significant proportion of infected people do not have major symptoms, said Dr. Edward Jones-Lopez, specialist in infectious diseases with Keck Medicine from the University of Southern California, so that they do not visit their doctor, who in turn does not deal with a blood test and does not bring the case.
Serious symptoms are most often observed in the elderly, people with chronic liver disease and those with a weakened immune system or HIV on rare occasions, hepatitis infection A can be fatal. In this epidemic, at least seven people died. This may seem to be an unusually high death rate, but officials believe that many more people have been infected than official figures show it. Most have probably been asymptomatic or have shown symptoms light enough to have been poorly identified.
How is hepatitis treated?
There are no specific antiviral drugs for hepatitis A. Infection is generally resolved by itself in a few weeks, and most people are not confronted with lasting liver damage. But for some, hospitalization may be necessary.
In rare cases, infection can be transformed into acute liver insufficiency called Fulminant hepatitis, which may require a transplant, said Dr. Jones-Lopez. “It can progress very, very quickly – it's a very serious disease.”
If you think you could be infected, be sure to visit your doctor, drink a lot of liquids and rest sufficiently.
How can I avoid it?
The best way to prevent hepatitis A infection is by vaccination. The diet – two doses of vaccine, at least six months apart – offers life protection. It has been systematically given to children for two decades, but many adults aged 25 and over have not obtained the shots unless they are in a high -risk group.
The fact that the epidemic occurs outside the traditional populations “underlines the need to reassess how – and where – we are targeting prevention efforts,” said Dr. Anne Rimoin, professor of epidemiology at the UCLA, because “an infection anywhere is an infection everywhere”.
If you are not vaccinated but know that you have been exposed to a person wearing the virus, a quick vaccination can prevent you from being infected. Experts say that some people with weakened immune systems that are exposed could also benefit from the reception of immunit-globulins. And good hygiene is a wise protection measure for everyone; Wash your hands with soap and water, especially after using the bathroom and before preparing food.
