Measles Isn’t the Only Preventable Disease on the Rise—Watch Out for Hep A

The winter of 2018–2019 was full of headlines tracking the worst flu season in decades. Then, the resurgence of measles—thought to be “eliminated” in the United States in 2000—took the spotlight. More quietly, and even more insidiously than measles, hepatitis A cases have been mounting across the country. In Ohio alone, 2,997 cases were confirmed over the past year. Since 2016, there have been 20,133 in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; 58% of those cases resulted in hospitalization, and 191 Americans have died from hep A infection. While California and Utah have declared an end to outbreaks there, 21 states are still reporting new cases. As such, instruct your clinical team to be alert for symptoms that could be attributed to hepatitis A infection—fatigue, low appetite, stomach pain, nausea, clay-colored stools, and jaundice. In addition, educate patients on the need to be immunized against hep A and on how it spreads; some infections occur in ways that patients can’t control, such as ingesting contaminated food or drinks, but it can also occur through close personal contact with an infected person. Finally, consider reaching out to institutions where people live in close physical contact, such as colleges and prisons, to offer a vaccination program.