Outbreak of super contagious liver disease now linked to Kennewick

A second case of hepatitis A has been linked to the Tri-Cities in the statewide outbreak of the infection that started last spring.

About 240 cases of the very contagious liver disease have been reported statewide, with 139 people hospitalized and five deaths, according to the Washington state Department of Health.

Both cases in the Tri-Cities have been found in jail inmates.

In September, an inmate in the women’s section of the Franklin County jail was diagnosed with the infection.

The new case was diagnosed in a male inmate at the Benton County jail in Kennewick, according to the Benton-Franklin Health District.

He was locked up earlier this month, before being transferred to a Tri-Cities hospital. He now has returned home to Grant County, where no cases of hepatitis A had been reported.

The health district is working closely with the Benton County Corrections Department to identify inmates and staff who were potentially exposed. Vaccines will be offered to those people.

The vaccine is effective if given soon after exposure and also offers protection against future exposure, according to the health district.

Men who were held at the jail between Feb 11-15 are asked to call the health department at 509-460-4200. Staff will review when they were incarcerated and whether they have already been immunized.

The health district’s environmental health staff is consulting with the jail about sanitation needed there after housing the inmate who was infected.

Outbreaks at Tri-Cities restaurants

Hepatitis A can be a mild or severe illness lasting from a few weeks to several months, according to the health district.

The Centers for Disease Control says most people recover completely, but people older than 50 or with other liver diseases may have liver failure or die.

The virus spreads easily when food, water or hands contaminated with infected fecal particles are put into the mouth. It also can be spread through close personal contact, such as caring for someone who is ill.

Symptoms include yellow skin or eyes, upset stomach or stomach pain, joint pain, fever and vomiting and diarrhea.

The best way to prevent hepatitis A is to get two doses of the hepatitis A vaccine, according to the health district. Vaccination is recommended for children starting at age 1, for travelers to certain countries and for people at high risk for infection with the virus.

The current outbreak in Washington state is related to a national outbreak that began about three years ago, mostly hitting the homeless and drug users.

Past Tri-Cities outbreaks were most often linked to ill restaurant workers.

The health district in recent months has been making sure that restaurants and institutions that serve food — including nursing homes and schools — enforce illness policies that require workers to wait 24 hours after their last symptoms to return to work.

Employees working with food served to children or the elderly should wait up to 72 hours before returning to work after symptoms subside.

The health district also recommends washing hands for 20 seconds with soap and warm water after using the bathroom, after changing a diaper and before preparing food.

This story was originally published February 21, 2020 at 12:12 PM.