Hepatitis A infections rise by nearly 300%

A new CDC report finds that hepatitis A infections in the U.S. have risen by 294% since 2015. In nine states and Washington, D.C., the increase in rates was 500% compared to previous years. Hepatitis A, which is the most common cause of viral hepatitis worldwide, is spread fecal-orally after contact with an infected person but is preventable through a vaccine. In the new report, which looked at transmissions between 2016 and 2018, the CDC received 15,000 reports of infections in the U.S.: People who reported drug use or homelessness made up the majority of those who had infections, followed by cases among men who have sex with men and among people who ate contaminated food.