10 September 2006 | 08:40 | FOCUS News Agency

Sofia. There are 914 people infected with hepatitis “A” in Plovdiv region, the National Medical Coordination Center (NMCC) announced for FOCUS Agency. There are 663 people affected in the city of Plovdiv only and 479 of them live in Stolipinovo quarter and 68 in Sheker Mahala.…

…

07.sep.06
Reuters

MILAN – The European Union’s food safety agency EFSA was cited as saying on Wednesday it had found no "convincing evidence" of a link between an exotic juice and four reported cases of hepatitis in Austria and Germany.
Noni juice, made from the fruit of the Morinda Citrifolia plant, sometimes known as the…

Public health officials have identified three new cases of hepatitis A in the past week.

The cases are all in one family and connected to an earlier case, bringing to 15 the total number of infections in an outbreak in the Lower Sackville area. The first case was identified in early June.

Five of the initial 12 cases were students from Hillside Park Elementary School. None of the new cases are associated with the school, said Geoff Wilson, spokesman for the Capital district health authority.

Public health staff are following up with the contacts of the new cases. That may include vaccination against the virus when appropriate, he said. Continue Reading Officials report three new cases of hepatitis A

By Bill Collins
09/05/06
Staff Writer

Mid-August’s hepatitis A scare in Fort Wayne has prompted local health concerns about the virus.

Several cases of the disease that were reported were apparently contracted from a Fort Wayne Pizza Hut employee. The employee was working between August 3 and 19, but has not been employed there since that time.

Hepatitis A can be transferred simply from an infected person not observing proper hygiene procedures, said Dr. Sarah Sayger of the Purdue University Student Health Center.

Sayger said people sometimes try to cut time and do not do a thorough job washing their hands and following proper health procedures in restaurants.

Although not washing thoroughly every time may have little consequences for most people, proper hygiene in this area is vitally important for those handling food. The signs in restaurant bathrooms stating that employees must wash hands before returning to work are meant to prevent this kind of outbreak.Continue Reading HEPATITIS A CAUSES CONCERN

No other cases reported, but officials wary
By Michael Schroeder
The Journal Gazette

Since a server at the Coventry Pizza Hut was diagnosed with hepatitis A nearly two weeks ago, no related cases have been reported.

But health officials – fully aware of the virus’ average monthlong incubation period during which infected persons exhibit no outward symptoms – are keeping close watch.

In all, 3,858 people received shots at eight immunization clinics set up in the wake of the hepatitis A diagnosis Aug. 24, Dr. Deborah McMahan, Allen County health commissioner, said Tuesday.

A total of 219 doses were sent out of the area (though not all were used) to Purdue University, Indiana University, Notre Dame and even Canada, among other locations. The shots are intended mostly for students and some others who ate food from the Coventry Pizza Hut.

Working with the restaurant, the health department estimated that 5,000 to 10,000 people may have been exposed to hepatitis A between Aug. 3 and Aug. 19, when the infected server was working and contagious. A total of 5,100 meals were served during that time.

So health officials are reminding all those who dined in, carried out or ordered from Coventry Pizza Hut between Aug. 3 and Aug. 19 not to become complacent.Continue Reading CAUTION PREVAILS AGAINST HEPATITIS A

David O’Brien
Record-Courier staff writer
9/6/2006

Three days after announcing a male student had contracted Hepatitis A and could potentially have passed the virus to others through his job preparing catered meals, Kent State Universitys chief physician said no further cases of the liver disease have been identified.

Dr. Ray Leone said University Health Services had immunized approximately 394 people out of the almost 500 thought to be most at risk for contracting the disease as of noon Tuesday. Between 40 and 50 doses of immune globulin were distributed Friday, more than 200 before 1 p.m. Saturday, and slightly more than 100 during Sunday and Monday.

A total of 380 people were immunized against the non-life-threatening disease by Monday evening. All those potentially affected have since been notified and most of those immunized. Continue Reading NO FURTHER CASES OF HEPATITIS A KSU CHIEF PHYSICIAN: NEARLY 394 IMMUNIZED

September 3, 2006
Akron Beacon Journal (OH)
Lisa A. Abraham
http://www.ohio.com/mld/ohio/news/nation/15431779.htm?source=syn

KENT – Kent State University officials are dealing with one confirmed and one suspected case of hepatitis A in students, and are working with public health officials to administer hundreds of immunizations to keep the virus from spreading.

The confirmed case is a male student who works for a branch of the school’s food service that provides catering for university functions.

Officials at a news conference Saturday said they have begun tracking down about 500 people who may have come in contact with food the student helped to prepare, as well as his co-workers and roommates.

By Saturday afternoon, Kent’s University Health Services had administered 270 shots of immune globulin — hepatitis A antibodies, which can help to prevent the virus in people who have already been exposed.

Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver caused by a virus and occurs in several forms. Hepatitis A is usually not life-threatening and has an incubation period of two to six weeks. Symptoms include fever and nausea.Continue Reading KSU RUSHES TO STOP VIRUS