April 13, 2005
CAMPBELL COUNTY (WATE) — The Regional Health Department says Wednesday that it’s investigating five confirmed cases of hepatitis A in Campbell County. There are three other people who have suspected cases.
Of the confirmed cases, three of the five people are being treated at St. Mary’s Medical Center in Campbell County.
Health officials are working on a plan to identify people who may have been exposed to hepatitis A and get them vaccinated.
Each person diagnosed with Hepatitis A has been asked to fill out a form with a series of questions designed to show health workers if there’s a connection between the cases.
The symptoms of hepatitis A include abdominal pain, loss of appetite, nausea and diarrhea. People with the virus usually experience extreme fatigue, to the point where they don’t want to get out of bed, along with a high fever.

Doctors say jaundice is the most notable sign of the virus. “Probably 70 to 75 percent of people, their presenting symptom will be jaundice, meaning their eyes will be yellow, their skin will be yellow,” says Dr. Stewart Jennings, with St. Mary’s.
Investigators from the Regional Health Department are talking to the infected patients, hoping to determine how the virus is spreading. “We’ll do personal interviews and we’ll start talking to them,” Cathy Goff says. “We’ll do food history and so forth. We’ll look for on set dates.”
Investigators want to figure out if people with the virus ate similar foods or visited the same restaurant.
According to the CDC’s web site, hepatitis A is easily passed from person to person. “Typically, the transmission route is fecal or stool to mouth,” Goff explains. “So if someone goes to the bathroom and doesn’t wash their hands and then they handle food or they ingest ice, then they can get it that way.”
Dr. Jennings says, “People are spreading the virus before they’re actually symptomatic. So say I have hepatitis A and I just came in contact with it. It’s going to be anywhere from 15 to 45 days before I even show symptoms.”
If you’re experiencing similar symptoms, see your doctor as soon as possible.
There’s a shot that provides short term protection, if the virus is caught early. The best way to protect yourself from hepatitis A is by practicing good hygiene and washing your hands after you use the bathroom.
No restaurant has been named in the Campbell County Health Department’s investigation. But in past outbreaks, restaurants have proven to be a common link.
The questions on the form for people diagnosed aren’t limited to eating at restaurants. They extend to schools, daycares and even at home, anywhere the patient came in contact with food during the infectious period. The time span is longer than most people realize.
An outbreak in 2003 infected dozens of East Tennessee residents with Hepatitis A. The cause was traced to infected green onions from Mexico.