Tag: Hepatitis

Restaurant Worker Contracts Hepatitis A In Northern W.Va.

Health officials say a restaurant worker in northern West Virginia has contracted hepatitis A.

The Monongalia County Health Department says in a news release the worker at the Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen in Morgantown was potentially contagious between Sept. 30 and Oct. 16.

The statement says while the risk of contracting hepatitis A from a food worker is low, vaccinations are being offered to people who consumed food at the restaurant within the past two weeks.

Hepatitis A is a virus that infects the liver and is spread through food, water and objects tainted by feces, or through close contact.

Infection can range from a mild illness lasting a few weeks to a severe illness lasting several months.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says West Virginia has had more than 2,500 hepatitis A cases since last year.

West Virginia First Responders Get Free Hepatitis A Vaccine

Uninsured and underinsured first responders in West Virginia will be able to access free hepatitis A vaccines.

The Exponent Telegram reports that the new West Virginia Department of Health and Human Services’ Center for Threat Preparedness will provide the free vaccines amid the state’s recent outbreak.

Kavin Richardson of the Harrison-Clarksburg Health Department says first responders often come into contract with people at a higher risk for contracting the disease, like drug users.

The virus is primarily spread through consumption of food or water contaminated with the feces of an infected person.

Not all counties have determined the date the vaccines will be available, but qualified individuals in Harrison County can receive the vaccine starting Thursday.

New Project to Study Prevention & Treatment of Opioid Abuse

Over $1 million in federal funding has been awarded to a project aimed at addressing the opioid crisis in West Virginia.

The project is based in southern West Virginia, and it’s spearheaded by West Virginia University. The goal is to develop comprehensive ways to prevent and treat the consequences of opioid abuse, such as overdose, HIV, hepatitis, and sexually transmitted diseases.

The project will be supported by a two-year $1 million grant from the National Institute of Drug Abuse, the Appalachian Regional Commission, and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

The WVU team will work with state and local communities to develop the best practice responses that could be implemented by public health systems in the country’s rural regions.

President Donald Trump recently declared the opioid epidemic as a national crisis.

Exit mobile version