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Editorial: Preventative measures can mitigate hep A outbreak

The Herald-Dispatch - 5/22/2018

As the region sits in the middle of a hepatitis A outbreak, it can be hard to remain calm and level-headed about such matters of health.

After all, hepatitis A is a viral liver disease that can cause mild to severe illness, according to the World Health Organization. While most everyone recovers fully from the virus with a lifelong immunity, a very small proportion of people infected could die.

But for the healthy members of our population who aren't making risky life choices, the outbreak is one that can be managed well with an ounce of preventative steps.

Ashland, Kentucky, and the Kanawha Valley have seen more food service related cases than Cabell, which has recorded just one contaminated food service worker so far. But regardless of numbers, Dr. Michael Kilkenny, medical director of the Cabell-Huntington Health Department, told The Herald-Dispatch reporter Taylor Stuck recently that to blame the affected workers or restaurants is unfair, and that any concerns about eating at restaurants are unnecessary. "We want to be as conscientious as we possibly can ... Anybody can get this disease - that is, anybody who is not immune to it," he said.

The hepatitis A virus is transmitted through ingestion of contaminated food and water or through direct contact with an infectious person. The best way to prevent it is getting vaccinated, as all children are prior to the start of their public school education.

As Louisville, among other Kentucky communities, saw the number of hepatitis A cases rise, it took proactive measures to keep visitors and residents safe - particularly ahead of the Kentucky Derby, an event that annually draws tens of thousands to the city.

Prior to that event, the Louisville Metro Department of Public Health and Wellness had gone on a vaccination blitz to reach homeless people and drug users at places like homeless shelters and recovery houses, according to Insider Louisville, and mobile hand-washing centers were added to public areas. As cases began to pop up at places like groceries and restaurants, the local department and the University of Louisville Global Health Center partnered to vaccinate restaurant and hospitality workers.

"Also, we requested that anyone that's coming into town (to handle food for Derby) be vaccinated before they come in," Medical Director Lori Caloia told the publication in late April. "It's really just a preventive measure and to try to give people that peace of mind of knowing these efforts have been made in advance."

While the Tri-State isn't expecting an influx of visitors that could exacerbate the outbreak into a full-blown tourism nightmare, it can still show concern for its citizens' well-being by offering an aggressive plan to navigate the surge of the virus.

Similar to Louisville's actions, the Kanawha-Charleston Health Department and Thomas Health System will offer hepatitis A vaccinations to food service workers and hospitality workers May 30 at the Charleston Civic Center. Kanawha County officials last week also announced the creation of a program to offer hepatitis A vaccine to ambulance crews and other first responders.

Recently, all of Forth FoodFairs' food preparation employees opted to get vaccinated against hepatitis A, according to Tim Forth, president of Forth Foods Inc. "Offering the hepatitis A vaccine to our food preparation employees was important for the health and safety of our workers," Forth said in a news release. "It is also important that the public has confidence in us ..."

Certainly, such moves can help restaurants and businesses retain their customers' trust and avoid negative publicity, but beyond that, their vaccination efforts can go a long way for the good - and peace of mind - of the community.