Introduction
Many dangerous diseases cause serious symptoms in people and might lead to severe complications. Hepatitis A, a highly contagious liver infection, is one such condition. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2022), the hepatitis A virus found in the blood and stool of infected individuals causes this illness.
The main way to get the disease is to ingest the virus by drinking contaminated water, eating contaminated food, or coming into close contact with a person with this diagnosis. The most common way to prevent hepatitis A is to become vaccinated. Since children and older adults are at increased risk of infection, they should be immunized.
Facts
This paper discusses an outbreak of hepatitis A. As reported by researchers, the disease began on March 28, 2022, and lasted until May 6, 2022, and affected people in four states, including North Dakota, Minnesota, Arizona, and California (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2022). A total of 19 cases of hepatitis A were reported during that period. Fortunately, the disease caused no deaths among these people, but 13 individuals, who account for 68%, were hospitalized to receive urgent treatment. Patients considered part of the outbreak ranged in age from 9 to 73 years, with 63% being female (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2022).
The investigation ended on August 14, 2022; the date of announcing the alert is not indicated, but the information about it was posted on June 29, 2022 (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2022). The outbreak was caused by people purchasing and consuming contaminated strawberries from FreshKampo and HEB brands. The authorities interviewed infected people, identified the cause of the outbreak, and raised awareness of the need to avoid and discard certain recently purchased strawberry brands.
Symptoms
There are sure signs of hepatitis A. In most cases, they manifest 2 to 7 weeks after infection (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2022). The most common symptoms of the disease include decreased or absent appetite, upset or aching stomach, diarrhea, vomiting, and nausea (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2022). Other signs include yellow eyes and skin, a high fever, joint pain, light-colored stools, dark urine, and extreme tiredness. It is essential to note that some people with hepatitis A have no symptoms at all, which is why they sometimes learn about their disease a long time after being infected (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2022). It is more likely for adult patients to have signs of hepatitis A than for kids.
Furthermore, some people experience only light symptoms for several weeks after the contamination and do not require any severe treatment, as they can recover entirely without their liver having lasting damage. Others, however, require urgent hospitalization and treatment (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2022). There were cases of hepatitis A causing death, but the outbreak under discussion did not have any fatal cases. Older individuals, children, and people with chronic diseases can have liver failure because of hepatitis A.
Prevention
There are several ways to prevent disease, which can be divided into primary, secondary, and tertiary measures. The former group includes approaches that allow for the avoidance of conditions and diseases before they occur. For example, in relation to hepatitis A, immunization, proper sanitation, and avoidance of contact with infected people are the key measures(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2022). Education is also considered an efficient way to raise awareness and prevent people from being infected.
Moreover, as noted by Annous et al. (2021), chlorine dioxide gas applied to berries is highly effective against hepatitis A. As for secondary measures, they aim to restrict the spread of an already occurring disease and reduce its effects. Healthcare providers screen people who manifest specific symptoms, isolate them if they are infected, and use immune globulin and hepatitis A vaccine to help them (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2022). Lastly, tertiary measures are needed to relieve the pressure and long-lasting impact of a disease. Rehabilitation programs and support groups for people diagnosed with hepatitis A are included in such approaches.
Description of Study
There are many peer-reviewed studies on similar hepatitis A outbreaks that offer recommendations for preventing the disease. For instance, an article by McClure et al. (2022) discusses a 2019 outbreak of the virus linked to fresh blackberries purchased from various Mexican suppliers. According to McClure et al. (2022), 20 individuals were reported to have been infected, and 11 were hospitalized for further treatment. Similar to the 2022 outbreak, there were no deaths. The article discusses the investigations and measures that the U.S. authorities used in 2019 in response to the disease outbreak, and the variables of interest included epidemiologic, laboratory, and traceback investigations.
Regarding the former, the majority of interviewees reported consuming blackberries before developing hepatitis A, which confirmed that this outbreak was foodborne (McClure et al., 2022). In their laboratory experiments, researchers found that 16 clinical specimens were sequenced (McClure et al., 2022). Lastly, the traceback investigation allowed identification of where contaminated berries were purchased and from which suppliers the supermarkets received them. The outcome was the final determination and confirmation of the contamination source, and the authorities adopted public safety measures.
Recommendations
The sources cited in this paper outline some recommendations regarding the outbreak. For instance, both McClure et al. (2022) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2022) refer to vaccination as the best way to avoid infection or, if infection occurs, to have a milder course of the disease. Furthermore, McClure et al. (2022) note the need to educate the population about hepatitis A contamination, immunization, and symptoms, so they can report their condition if they develop symptoms. Finally, regarding the specific 2022 outbreak, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2022) recommended discarding strawberries purchased from March 5, 2022, to April 15, 2022. People who consumed strawberries during that period were advised to visit their provider.
Conclusion
To conclude, hepatitis A is a severe virus that can affect one’s liver and have a lasting impact on people’s health. In March 2022, several states reported having new patients with hepatitis A, and further investigation revealed they had consumed contaminated strawberries. Some prevention measures include vaccination, avoiding contact with people with hepatitis A, hand sanitizing, and being educated about hepatitis A. What is more, it is recommended to use chlorine dioxide gas to reduce the contamination of berries.
References
Annous, B. A., Buckley, D. A. & Kingsley, D. H. (2021). Efficacy of chlorine dioxide gas against hepatitis A virus on blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, and strawberries. Food and Environmental Virology, 13, 241–247.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022). Multistate outbreak of hepatitis A virus infections linked to fresh organic strawberries. CDC.
McClure, M., Nsubuga, J., Montgomery, M. P., Jenkins, E., Crosby, A., Schoelen, D., Basler, C., Ramachandran, S., Lin, Y., Xia, G., Khudaykov, Y., Suktankar, V., Wagley, A., Thomas, V., Woods, J., Hintz, L., Oliveira, J., Sandoval, A. L., Frederick, J., … & Viazis, S. (2022). A 2019 outbreak investigation of hepatitis a virus infections in the United States linked to imported fresh blackberries. Food and Environmental Virology, 14(3), 236-245.