Health officials say hepatitis outbreak appears to have been halted
Wed, Apr. 05, 2006
HERALD-LEADER STAFF REPORT
It's been a week since the last case of hepatitis A was reported to the Lexington-Fayette County Health Department, so officials think the spread of the disease has been stopped.
The health department's disease investigators also have found that of the 14 people who had hepatitis A, six of them -- four adults and two children -- live in Bourbon County. All treatment of the ill people is complete.
The Bourbon County Health Department has been notified.
The Fayette County Health Department is checking into the 14th case to confirm the lab results. A hepatitis A antibody test apparently showed the presence of hepatitis A in the person's system, but the person might not have exhibited symptoms of hepatitis A.
During the course of the outbreak, the Fayette County Health Department administered hepatitis A vaccine to 262 people and gave 143 immune globulin shots.
The outbreak infected 14 people, including five Fayette County schoolchildren. Four at Mary Todd Elementary School and one preschool student at Yates Elementary were infected.
The health department is operating its hepatitis A hotline through Friday. It will run until 6 p.m. today and from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday. The number is 288-7529.
