WFHB Bloomington Community Radio
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Reported cases of Hepatitis A are on the rise throughout Southern Indiana, including Lawrence county. Monroe County Health Commissioner Penny Caudill said the increase in the reported cases of the fecal-oral disease mimics a wider outbreak across the country.
Hepatitis A is caused by ingesting fecal particulates, and can be transmitted between people, or through contaminated food. Caudill said the Monroe County Health Department is working with the Shalom Community Center and the Indiana Recovery Alliance to distribute vaccines and treatment for Hepatitis A.
Caudill said children born after 2014 may automatically be vaccinated against Hepatitis A. The Monroe County Health Department encourages people at risk to receive a vaccine. Caudill said the county vaccinated about 300 inmates at the Monroe County Jail.
