Hepatitis A outbreak detected in Albuquerque

Doctors say homeless people and drug users are most at risk for the disease

State health officials are ramping up Hepatitis A vaccination efforts around Albuquerque after confirming four separate cases of the contagious liver disease in the city since late October.

The current outbreak primarily involves those who are homeless and those who inject drugs, populations at increased risk for the disease, according to the New Mexico Department of Health. Because Hepatitis A is relatively uncommon, Dr. Michael Landen, state epidemiologist with DOH, said four cases in one area — even the state’s largest city — is enough to galvanize the health care community.

“That gets our attention and we need to approach it in a special way,” he said Monday.

DOH and other community health partners have begun outreach and education efforts meant to stop the disease from spreading, specifically targeting the homeless and intrave-

nous drug users.

Landen estimated that the state had administered 100-150 Hepatitis A vaccines since the outbreak started, and said DOH is working with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention “to get our hands on much more vaccine than we usually have just in case we end up with more cases.”

Hepatitis A infection is often tied to poor sanitation and usually spreads when someone ingests even “microscopic amounts” of fecal matter from an infected person, the DOH said in a news release.

Signs of the disease include fever, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, dark urine, and yellowness of the skin and eyes. The illness can be short-lived, but more serious cases can last several months.

Extreme cases can cause liver failure or death, but it is typically a short-time illness and does not become chronic, according to the CDC website.

Those who are homeless, use drugs, have direct contact with someone already infected and men who have sex with men have a higher risk for contracting the disease, the DOH says.

“It’s not that common. But in the right circumstances where people are living outdoors, where running water may not be that available all the time, situations like that create more risk,” Landen said.

The availability of a Hepatitis A vaccine over the past two decades has dramatically reduced infection rates, he said.

New Mexico had just four reported cases statewide in 2016 and four in 2017. The last time the state topped 10 cases was in 2013, part of a multistate outbreak linked to contaminated frozen berries.

Those in Albuquerque who are not in a high-risk group should be more concerned about preventing inf luenza than contracting Hepatitis A, Landen said.

“That’s the much bigger risk for the average person, so keep your hands washed regularly and that will help with any remote chance of picking up hepatitis A,” he said.