No new hepatitis A cases this year in Mahoning or Trumbull

June 26, 2018 at 8:39a.m.

YOUNGSTOWN

Despite a statewide outbreak of hepatitis A reported by the Ohio Department of Health, Mahoning and Trumbull counties have not reported any new cases this year.

County officials, however, are urging vaccinations for those at high risk of contracting the disease.

“It is not an outbreak in our county,” Patricia Sweeney, Mahoning County health commissioner, said. “We have outreach to all our [outpatient centers] to make them aware there is an active outbreak in the state and to make sure they’re screening [patients] first for symptomology ... and giving them access to the vaccine.”

Eighty-two cases had been reported statewide as of Monday – about twice as many reported in the whole of 2017 – but none of them fatal, according to ODH.

Neighboring states of Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan and West Virginia have reported close to 2,000 new cases this year, many of which are linked to Ohio outbreaks. Cuyahoga, Summit and Guernsey counties have reported a combined six cases so far this year, according to the ODH website.

Intravenous drug users, men who have sex with men and the homeless or incarcerated are among the most at-risk groups identified among the state’s outbreak cases, according to ODH.