HJAR May/Jun 2022

HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF ARKANSAS I  MAY / JUN 2022 43 José R. Romero, MD Secretary Arkansas Department of Health symptoms three to four weeks after expo- sure if infected. Many people, especially chil- dren, may have no symptoms. The older a person is when they get hepatitisA, the more severe the symptoms they may have. Preg- nant women are also at risk of developing severe infections if infected. Fortunately, al- most everyone who gets hepatitis A recov- ers completely and do not have any lasting liver damage, although they may feel sick for months. There are no specific treatments once a person gets hepatitis A. However, it can be prevented through vaccination. The hepa- titisAvaccine is safe and effective. The CDC recommends vaccination for all children ages six months and older. It is a two-dose series with six months between doses. It is also recommended for all adults who have not yet been vaccinated and wish to protect themselves fromhepatitisA. It is specifically recommended for people with chronic liver disease, such as hepatitis C, people with cer- tain underlying health conditions, such as HIV infection, and people who plan to travel to countries where hepatitis A is common. If an unvaccinated person receives a dose soon after exposure to the hepatitisAvirus, the vaccine can help prevent the disease from developing at all. A medicine called immune globulin containing antibodies from other people resistant to the hepati- tis A virus may also be recommended for certain people at increased risk for severe illness. Post-exposure vaccination and im- mune globulin work best if given within two weeks of exposure to the virus. The ADH outbreak response team inves- tigates each case of hepatitis A reported. The ADH continues to see cases that are part of an ongoing outbreak that began in 2018 among high-risk individuals, including people who use drugs, people experiencing homelessness, and men who have sex with men. Since February 2018, 1,324 cases have been reported to theADH that predominant- ly involved whites (91%), males (63%), and recreational drug users (49%). TheADH has focused vaccination campaigns in counties and groups hit the hardest during the out- break. Thus far, more than 35,000 people have been vaccinated at community vac- cination events, jails, homeless shelters, substance misuse treatment centers, and other settings. Visit www.healthy.arkansas.gov to learn more about hepatitis A and C. n and have chronic hepatitis C disease. There were 4,321 new HCV cases identified in Ar- kansas in 2020. Chronic hepatitis C infection can be cured withmedications that are effective in 95% of cases. Treatment in the form of oral medi- cation is usually taken for eight to 12 weeks and may be covered by private insurance, federal insurance, Medicare, or Medicaid. In addition, those who have no insurance or have financial hardships can apply for as- sistance through pharmaceutical companies’ medication assistance programs. There were 470 cases of hepatitis A inAr- kansas in 2021. HepatitisA is usually spread when a person ingests fecal matter — even in microscopic amounts — from contact with objects, food, or drinks contaminated by an infected person’s feces or stool. It can also be spread through unprotected sex or sharing needles used to inject drugs. Hand sanitizers do not work against hepatitis A, so people at risk are encouraged to wash their hands using soap and water often. Aperson can transmit the hepatitisAvirus to others up to two weeks before and one week after their symptoms appear. After ex- posure, illness may take from two to seven weeks to appear. Most people will develop “THERE WERE 4,321 NEW HCV CASES IDENTIFIED IN ARKANSAS IN 2020.”