As Manitoba deals with a hepatitis A outbreak, one expert is sharing the symptoms to look out for and the best course for prevention. According to Dr. Davinder Singh, hepatitis A is spread through the “fecal-oral” route, meaning the virus is ingested through food, water or other contaminated objects. He noted that symptoms include fever, fatigue, abdominal pain, diarrhea, dark-coloured urine, and jaundice. Singh, who is a provincial medical officer of health, added that Manitoba’s hepatitis A outbreak has been going on for over a year. “It’s mainly impacted northern First Nation communities and some parts of Winnipeg,” he said in an interview with Your Morning Winnipeg on Tuesday. “So in Winnipeg the two groups that have been mainly impacted are those who are homeless, as well as those who have household visitors from these communities.” Singh said the province has expanded hepatitis A vaccine eligibility to all those living in any Indigenous community in Manitoba, any person who’s travelling to or working in any of these communities, and anyone with household visitors from these communities. He noted that though there’s been an uptake in people getting the vaccine, more still needs to be done. “The key is to do two things – one is to follow hand hygiene recommendations… And secondly is getting vaccinated if you’re eligible,” he said. “Even one dose of the vaccine is incredibly effective. It provides about 90 to 95 per cent protection after a single dose and it can last over 10 years for the average person.” For anyone who does contract hepatitis A, Singh said supportive care is the main treatment option. He explained hepatitis A doesn’t cause a long-term or chronic infection and that most people recover within two weeks. However, he noted, some people do experience severe outcomes. “We’ve had seven deaths associated with this outbreak,” he said. “We’ve had eight people admitted to the ICU and almost 200 additional people hospitalized as of July 16.” More information about hepatis A and vaccination eligibility is available online.
