Death toll in San Diego County hepatitis A outbreak jumps to 14

San Diego County health officials on Tuesday increased the number of deaths associated with an outbreak of hepatitis A to 14, marking a three-death increase since Aug. 15.

The County of San Diego's Health and Human Services Agency increased the total number of reported cases from 333 to 352. Hospitalizations related to the outbreak also increased from 232 to 264 over the same time period. The majority of individuals affected by the outbreak, which began in November 2016, have either been homeless, an illicit drug user or both. The investigation into the source of the outbreak is ongoing.

Symptoms of hepatitis A infection include abdominal pain, low-grade fever, nausea, fatigue and jaundice. The virus is highly transmissible and is most often spread via contact with fecal matter from an infected individual, which can contaminate food and water.

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