Michigan leads the nation in number of hepatitis A cases

March 28--TRAVERSE CITY -- The Benzie-Leelanau District Health Department will receive a $20,000 grant to prevent the Hepatitis A outbreak that is plaguing Michigan from heading north.

The department is one of 25 statewide that will receive money to fund vaccination outreach efforts in those areas that are not directly affected by the outbreak.

Leelanau County has reported one case of hepatitis A and Benzie County has not had any, according to information at the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services website.

Michelle Klein, director of personal health for the Benzie-Leelanau department, said in non-affected counties it is more about prevention.

"It's such a huge outbreak that has affected so many people," Klein said. "Because we know it's so contagious we're trying to be proactive."

A total of 789 cases of hepatitis A have been reported in Michigan as of March 21, with the state now exceeding the number of cases reported in any other state, including California, which had 703 cases as of March 9, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In Michigan 25 deaths have been attributed to the disease and 635 people -- more than 80 percent -- have been hospitalized.

Klein said that nurses will be visiting the Benzie County Jail in April to give inmates -- a high risk population -- the hepatitis A vaccine. They'll also visit the Leelanau County Jail and will promote the availability of the vaccine in local bars and restaurants, she said.

"A hepatitis A vaccine is good for everyone to get," Klein said.

There are 45 health departments across the state; 20 of those departments that had reported more than one case -- called an 'outbreak jurisdiction' -- have already been funded by the grants given out by the MDHHS.

The grants are part of a $7.7 million appropriation approved by state legislators in 2017.

The Grand Traverse County Health Department received $98,500 in December after reporting the first two of the four cases it has reported for the county since the outbreak began.

No new cases have been reported in Grand Traverse County since the end of last year, said Rose Ann Davis, outreach coordinator for the Grand Traverse County Health Department.

But more than one case is considered an outbreak because that means the disease has spread or been transmitted, Davis said.

"We are fortunate not to have a lot of cases here, but we are trying vigilantly to make sure everyone here gets vaccinated," Davis said.

The Grand Traverse Health Department has given out 817 hepatitis A vaccinations since the first case was reported in February 2017, with the majority being in the last six months, said Wendy Hirschenberger, health officer for the department.

The department has been doing outreach to try and get all adults vaccinated, but especially those who are at high risk for contracting hepatitis A, such as homeless or incarcerated people, men who have sex with men, IV and non-IV drug users and more.

The hepatitis A vaccine has been routinely recommended in the normal immunization schedule for children since 2006, but many adults have never had it, Hirschenberger said.

Part of what contributes to the spread of Hepatitis A is that people who may not even know they have it can be out in public exposing other people, she said.

"People can actually infect other people before they even know they are sick," she said. "They could be serving meals or be an usher at a church giving Communion or just about anything."

The vaccine is given in two shots six months apart, with the first shot being 95 percent effective and the booster raising that to 98 percent effectiveness. The vaccine is good for a lifetime, Davis said.

The cost of a vaccine is $10, but Davis and Klein said there is no charge for those people who are uninsured or cannot afford it.

Vaccinations for adults are available at the Grand Traverse department, 2600 Lafranier Road, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. without an appointment, but extended walk-in hours are scheduled from 7-8 a.m. and from 4:40-6:30 p.m for several days through May 23.

Those extended hours will continue through September or longer, but have not yet been scheduled, Hirschenberger said. People can check the department's website at www.gtchd.org for updates, she said.

___

(c)2018 The Record-Eagle (Traverse City, Mich.)

Visit The Record-Eagle (Traverse City, Mich.) at record-eagle.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.