LA County on alert after hepatitis outbreaks among homeless in California counties

[RosieSD]

Let's keep the numbers in perspective folks!

San Diego County has a population of 3.3 million. According to the article, there have been 275 cases of Hep A. That means that the infection rate is only 00008333333% of the general population in San Diego County.

The state of California has a population of over 39 million. You can do the math to figure out the infinitesimal percentage of people in California affected by this.

All 275 of the people in San Diego who've contracted Hep A are homeless. All of the five people who've died have been homeless, and likely had other medical issues that contributed to their deaths as well.

In short, if you aren't homeless, your chances of NOT getting Hep A in California are pretty darned good.



And, for those suggesting that it's somehow easy to catch Hep A just walking by a homeless person, here's what the World Health Organization has to say:

Key facts

Hepatitis A is a viral liver disease that can cause mild to severe illness.

-- Almost everyone recovers fully from hepatitis A [/b]with a lifelong immunity.

-- The risk of hepatitis A infection is associated with a lack of safe water, and poor sanitation and hygiene (such as dirty hands).

--The virus is primarily spread when an uninfected (and unvaccinated) person ingests food or water that is contaminated with the faeces of an infected person. The disease is closely associated with unsafe water or food, inadequate sanitation and poor personal hygiene.

A safe and effective vaccine is available to prevent hepatitis A.

--Safe water supply, food safety, improved sanitation, hand washing and the hepatitis A vaccine are the most effective ways to combat the disease.


Detroit is also going through a Hep A outbreak right now, by the way. And, it's been traced there to sexual contact and/or drug use (i.e., sharing dirty needles).

So, again, your chances of contracting Hep A just by walking by a homeless person or even using the same toilet as a homeless person, are slim to none, unless you stop to share their food or water, have sex with a homeless person, or hit them up to borrow a used needle.

As for public toilets, I'm assuming of course, that everyone already knows to wash their hands after using any public rest room, right?

And, to the person who suggested that you could get Hep A by stepping in human waste, well only IF you wipe it off with your bare hands and then immediately put your hands in your mouth. If anyone here is stupid enough to wipe poop (dog, human, horse, etc.) off with their bare hands and then eat without washing their hands first, they have a bigger problem than any risk of Hep A.

As mentioned above, the Hepatitus A vaccine - covered by ALL insurance plans or available free from County health departments, reduces your chances of infection to ZERO.

Adding to Katherine's list above, for those who live in Los Angeles, here is the list of places where the free vaccines are available if anyone is truly lying awake at night worrying about this:

http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/doc...ics-6-3-13.pdf

[Brandon Graves]

Uh... Is the Coachella Valley far away enough from the current hepatitis outbreaks?

[RosieSD]

Originally Posted by Brandon Graves

Uh... Is the Coachella Valley far away enough from the current hepatitis outbreaks?

Brandon, unless you're homeless, shoot IV drugs, sleep with homeless people, share food and water with homeless people, have poor standards of personal sanitation, or have the very bad luck of eating in a restaurant where a food preparer is infected, you don't have much to worry about.

Remember, even in San Diego County, where most of these cases among homeless people have occurred, the percentage of the general population that has contracted Hep A is .00008333333%

I live in San Diego County and I'm not losing any sleep worrying about those odds.

Anyone who is worried, however, can get a vaccine. The cost will be covered by all insurance companies OR you can go to your county public health office for one for free.

Many people have probably already received Hep A vaccines as children (it's required in many states in order to enroll in school) or even as adults if they were vaccinated for foreign travel or the military. Some colleges and universities also require Hep A (and B) vaccines.

[RosieSD]

Here's some information on the current Hep A outbreak in Detroit, which actually is a bit worse than the one here in California:

State health officials said Friday they and local public health departments are investigating an outbreak of hepatitis A cases in Southeast Michigan that’s resulted in 10 deaths.

Between Aug. 1, 2016 and June 26, 2017, there have been nearly 190 cases of hepatitis A confirmed in Detroit as well as Macomb, Oakland, Wayne and St. Clair counties, according to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.

The state agency said transmission appears to be person-to-person through illicit drug use, sexual activity and close contact.

Nearly half of the cases have a history of substance abuse, 20 percent are also infected with hepatitis C, and six more recent cases have been incarcerated, according to the state health department.


“Hepatitis A is a vaccine-preventable disease,” Dr. Eden Wells, chief medical executive for the state health department, said in a statement.

Wells said the agency recommends the following at-risk people get a hepatitis vaccine:

■ People who use injection and non-injection illegal drugs.

■ People who participate in commercial exchange of sexual practices.

■ Close personal contacts of hepatitis A patients.

■ Men who have sex with men.

■ People with liver diseases, such as hepatitis B or hepatitis C.

■ Any one concerned about getting hepatitis A.

Health officials probe hepatitis A outbreak in SE Mich.

[Katarina Witt]

Here are the risk factors for Hep A:
Hepatitis A Risk factors - Mayo Clinic
Nothing about being homeless.

In addition, contaminated food and water are big sources: http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p2104.pdf
And keep this in mind (from the link above): The outbreak referenced in Pennsylvania was in my home county. There were 565 cases from one restaurant that served contaminated salsa. That should show you that you don't need a huge wallop of virus to get sick. Who eats more than a tablespoon or so of salsa on their food?

Just walking past a homeless person, no, won't give you Hep A. Using the same toilet may. Public toilets are notoriously unclean and the virus can stay active for up to two months on dry surfaces such as toilet seats. How is Hepatitis A transmitted? | Hepatitis A Food Poisoning So washing your hands may not eliminate the source of infection, not that I would ever discourage good handwashing. Walking through poop and getting it on your clothes, which you later touch when you remove the clothes, may cause infection.

I would be very reluctant to say that this is a minor problem in SD County.

[expatCA]

Originally Posted by Katarina Witt

Here are the risk factors for Hep A:
Hepatitis A Risk factors - Mayo Clinic
Nothing about being homeless.

In addition, contaminated food and water are big sources: http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p2104.pdf
And keep this in mind (from the link above): The outbreak referenced in Pennsylvania was in my home county. There were 565 cases from one restaurant that served contaminated salsa. That should show you that you don't need a huge wallop of virus to get sick. Who eats more than a tablespoon or so of salsa on their food?

Just walking past a homeless person, no, won't give you Hep A. Using the same toilet may. Public toilets are notoriously unclean and the virus can stay active for up to two months on dry surfaces such as toilet seats. How is Hepatitis A transmitted? | Hepatitis A Food Poisoning So washing your hands may not eliminate the source of infection, not that I would ever discourage good handwashing. Walking through poop and getting it on your clothes, which you later touch when you remove the clothes, may cause infection.

I would be very reluctant to say that this is a minor problem in SD County.

Maybe minor number wise, but a concern due to the growing homeless population. Even if only for them, since many are not that healthy or willing to go to a doctor/hospital.

[Exitus Acta Probat]

Originally Posted by Katarina Witt

Just walking past a homeless person, no, won't give you Hep A. Using the same toilet may. Public toilets are notoriously unclean and the virus can stay active for up to two months on dry surfaces such as toilet seats. How is Hepatitis A transmitted? | Hepatitis A Food Poisoning So washing your hands may not eliminate the source of infection, not that I would ever discourage good handwashing. Walking through poop and getting it on your clothes, which you later touch when you remove the clothes, may cause infection.

I would be very reluctant to say that this is a minor problem in SD County.

When the streets are their toilet, I consider that sharing a toilet with them. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to start looking on Amazon for a biohazard suit so I don't get sick and die from walking in L.A.

[Katarina Witt]

Originally Posted by Exitus Acta Probat

When the streets are their toilet, I consider that sharing a toilet with them. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to start looking on Amazon for a biohazard suit so I don't get sick and die from walking in L.A.

Great idea.

[majoun]

Originally Posted by Exitus Acta Probat

When the streets are their toilet, I consider that sharing a toilet with them. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to start looking on Amazon for a biohazard suit so I don't get sick and die from walking in L.A.

Or just get a Glock 18, although you won't be able to find that on Amazon.