Hepatitis A Outbreak Hits Nashville

NASHVILLE, TN -- Metro health officials confirmed an outbreak of hepatitis A Friday with 14 cases reported in Davidson County in the last six months, far ahead of the average of two cases annually.

In response, the health department is preparing to offer free vaccinations to illegal drug users, people who are homeless and men who have sex with men, groups that have a higher risk of contracting the liver infection.

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Free vaccines will be available starting Tuesday at all three Health Centers - East at 1015 East Trinity Lane, Lentz at 2500 Charlotte Avenue and Woodbine at 224 Oriel Avenue. The immediate priority is the aforementioned at-risk groups and the health department emphasized that all illicit drug users, not just those who use injectable drugs, are at-risk.

According to The Tennessean, the health department may not have enough of the vaccine to go around. The department only has 1,150 doses, which will cover less than 5 percent of the at-risk groups. Health department spokesman Brian Todd told the paper that they are trying to acquire more vaccine and they are also urging at-risk people with insurance to visit their own health care provider to get vaccinated.

Though the public notification of the outbreak was not issued until late Friday afternoon, Metro Health Director Bill Paul e-mailed Metro's medical community Thursday.

"As a local healthcare provider the Metro Public Health Department wants you to know about recent Hepatitis A virus infections affecting men who have sex with men and people who use illicit drugs in Tennessee; there is concern that the outbreak will rapidly spread to people who are homeless," Paul wrote. "Based upon the experience of Kentucky and other states, Nashville is at risk of a significant Hepatitis A outbreak in the coming months."

Hepatitis A is a vaccine-preventable liver disease caused by the hepatitis A virus. Common symptoms include fever, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, dark urine, jaundice and clay-colored stools. The disease can be severe in some people possibly requiring hospitalization, but most recover completely within a few weeks.

Hepatitis A usually spreads when a person unknowingly ingests the virus from objects, food, or drinks contaminated by small, undetected amounts of stool from an infected person. Hepatitis A can also spread from close personal contact with an infected person such as through sex or caring for someone who is ill.

Image via Centers for Disease Control and Prevention