The San Diego County Health and Human Service Agency on Tuesday increased its count of hepatitis A cases linked to an ongoing outbreak to 481, marking a 20-case uptick since the agency's Sept. 26 update.
Health officials also reported 22 new hospitalizations related to the outbreak, bringing the total number of hospitalizations to 337. The death toll remained steady at 17.
County health officials declared the outbreak a public health emergency Sept. 1. County officials have ratified the declaration twice since then. The investigation into the outbreak, which was launched in March, is ongoing.
Hepatitis A infection symptoms include abdominal pain, low-grade fever, nausea, fatigue and jaundice. The highly communicable virus is most commonly spread through contact with fecal matter from an infected individual, which can contaminate food and water.
To learn more about hepatitis A, click here.
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