hepatitis A

A hepatitis A outbreak in Nebraska, Indiana and Wisconsin has been traced to blackberries sold in Fresh Thyme grocery stores.

Monroe County health officials are cautiously optimistic that the number of confirmed hepatitis A cases may have already peaked statewide.

The warning applies to customers of the Burger King on South Kentucky Avenue on Jan. 21-24.

The Monroe County Health Department is urging people who recently ate at Shalom Community Center to get a Hepatitis A vaccine after it diagnosed someone who may have handled food with the highly-contagious liver infection.

Last week Wayne County recorded 97 cases of hepatitis A, a slight uptick from the previous week. Health officials are optimistic the outbreak of the contagious liver infection may be under control.

Individuals who dined at Fresco Italian Café on the Canal, 340 W. Michigan St., on Monday, August 6 are recommended to receive the Hepatitis A vaccine.

We sat down with Amy Meek, Program Manager of the Monroe County Public Health Clinic, to find out more about the liver infection and how people should respond.

While there are no cases of the liver infection on the Bloomington campus, more than 330 people have been diagnosed with hepatitis A across the state since November.

The state says private and public health providers have administered more than 900 hepatitis A vaccines in Monroe County. Statewide, more than 54,000 vaccinations have been issued.

The state says 283 people have been diagnosed with the liver infection since November. That's 14 times higher than the number of cases the state typically sees in a year.