Tennessee Hepatitis

Hepatitis A is a liver infection caused by a virus that causes fever, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, dark urine, and a yellowing of the eyes and skin known as jaundice. The infection is most commonly spread through contaminated food and water or close contact with an infected person, particularly anal intercourse. Vaccines have been standardized for children, but many adults have never been immunized.

William Schaffner, a medical specialist at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, told The Tennessee earlier this year that hepatitis A virus is particularly difficult to contain because it can become contagious for a long time to become visibly sick.

Some people never get sick, but still spread the virus.

"Schaffner said," It can not be infected, but nobody knows you're infected, but you can still transmit the virus, "Schaffner said. "That's why hepatitis is so hard to figure out from a public health perspective. You're always running behind the virus, you're always trying to catch up. "

In recent years, large outbreaks in California, Michigan and Kentucky, infecting hundreds and killing dozens. Tests conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in San Diego, California.

PRIOR STORY: 74 people contract hepatitis A in Nashville

Tennessee's outbreak was announced in May, when officials in Nashville confirmed they had seen an alarming spike in hepatitis. Since then, public officials have focused their attention on recreational users, gay and bisexual men and homeless populations. Officials have vaccinated about 36,000 people, including about 7,400 in Nashville, according to the Metro Public Health Department.

Rachel Franklin, a Metro Health official who has been diagnosed with metastatic heart disease.

Metro Health also offers vaccinations at Nashville Pride and the city's gay bars, sometimes performing vaccinations as late as 2 a.m., and ventured in to homeless encampments and homeless shelters. This homeless outreach is largely a preventative measure, said Franklin, in response to the outbreaks in Louisville and San Diego that homeless populations are very vulnerable to infection.

"We definitely are not at the top of the list of this outbreak, but we have benefited from it," Franklin said.

Metro Health will encourage more vaccinations during outreach at the Nashville Rescue Mission homeless shelter on Thursday. Health officials are also scheduled to return to the shelter on Dec. 20, and to visit Room in the Inn, another homeless shelter, Dec. 13 and Dec. 27.

Anyone in the at-risk groups can receive a free hepatitis at any one of the three city health department centers. Appointments can be made with Neighborhood Health by Calling (615) 227-3000.

You can also get a hepatitis A vaccine from your normal healthcare provider, and the vaccine is covered by many insurance plans.