RivCo Hepatitis A Case Linked To San Diego County Strain

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA — A Riverside man is recovering from a deadly strain of hepatitis A that originated in San Diego County, public health officials said Tuesday. The victim, whose identity was not disclosed, has largely recuperated and apparently did not transmit the virus, according to the Riverside County Department of Public Health.

The disease, which can be prevented by a vaccine, is typically spread when someone "ingests the virus" via objects, food or drinks that were contaminated by the feces of a contaminated person, according to the public health agency. It's not clear exactly how the Riverside man got the virus, but the source of his infection was from somewhere in San Diego.

"There's no indication there are other related cases currently, but we are continuing to monitor the state and local situation closely," said Dr. Cameron Kaiser, county public health officer. "If we do detect further cases, the system is already in place to respond quickly and to make sure all our residents stay protected."

Health officials said lab results confirmed that the man contracted the hepatitis A virus -- HAV -- from someone in San Diego County, where an outbreak has killed 19 and left more than 500 people sick. It's believed the HAV rampage emanated in the homeless and IV drug-using populations.

Additional outbreaks have been reported in Los Angeles and Santa Cruz counties, but the most recent case in Riverside started down south, according to the health department.

To date in 2017, seven people have been diagnosed with the virus in Riverside County, agency officials said.

The communicable disease impacts the liver and can be spread through food, drinks and objects contaminated with fecal matter from an infected host, officials said.

"It is possible to be infected and show no symptoms, but still be contagious," according to an agency statement. "Among the symptoms are fever, fatigue, loss of appetite, abdominal pain, jaundice, nausea and vomiting."

The best means of prevention is to practice proper hygiene, including frequent and thorough handwashing, as well as inoculation with the hepatitis A vaccine, officials said.

— City News Service contributed to this report / Image via Shutterstock