TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida had 41 newly reported hepatitis A cases last week, bringing the total number of cases to 142 in 2020, according to the state Department of Health.
Duval County led the state in the number of cases in the new year with 19, as of Saturday. It was followed by Volusia and Polk counties with 12 and 11 cases, respectively.
Hepatitis A can cause liver damage and is spread through such things as fecal matter. That can include transmission by people not properly washing their hands after going to the bathroom and contaminating food or drinks. Health officials have urged people to get vaccinated against the disease.
The state had a major outbreak last year, when it totaled 3,266 cases. That compares, for example, to a total of 123 cases in 2015 and 122 cases in 2016.
As the state continues to battle the virus, 2,523 first doses of hepatitis A vaccine were administered to adults from Jan. 19 to Saturday. Of those vaccinations, 1,161 were administered by county health departments, according to Department of Health data.