Utah is dealing with a large number of Hepatitis A cases, as an outbreak from other states reached here.
It’s a contagious liver disease. Utah normally has 4 or 5 cases a year, but now they have 87 since May. And the hospitalizations are much higher at over 60%. Health officials normally see less than 40%.
The cases seem to be primarily among the homeless population and those who use illicit drugs. It is primarily spread through not washing hands.
It can be prevented through a vaccine and better hand-washing.
Find out more through the health department’s focused website on the topic here.
