Health officials plan to give updates Kentucky's Hepatitis A outbreak, including initiatives to slow it. A statement from the Louisville Metro Department of Public Health and Wellness says the agency will host a news conference Thursday. Officials from the Centers for Disease Control, the Kentucky Department for Public Heath and the Louisville agency are expected to give updated numbers on the outbreak and talk about how people can protect themselves.
The statement says Kentucky has the largest Hepatitis A outbreak in the nation with more than 1,000 cases confirmed. The outbreak was declared in November. Hepatitis A is transmitted by oral contact with fecal matter. It attacks the liver and causes symptoms including abdominal pain, nausea, diarrhea, fever and jaundice.