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West Virginia Office of
Emergency Medical Services
350 Capitol Street
Room 425
Charleston, WV 25301

Toll Free: 1-888--747-8367
OEMS Phone: (304) 558-3956
OEMS Fax: (304) 558-8379
Trauma Phone: (304) 290-9307
Trauma Fax: (304) 558-8379

HEALTH ADVISORY 131

While the information contained in this news article was current and accurate when we posted it, it may not necessarily represent current WVOEMS policy or procedure. If you have any questions, please contact our office at 304-558-3956.

Posted: Tuesday, January 17, 2017 8:13 AM

TO: West Virginia Healthcare Providers, Hospitals and Other Healthcare Facilities

FROM: Rahul Gupta, MD, MPH, FACP, Commissioner and State Health Officer
WVDHHR, Bureau for Public Health
DATE: 1/13/2017
LOCAL HEALTH DEPARTMENTS: PLEASE DISTRIBUTE TO COMMUNITY HEALTH PROVIDERS, HOSPITAL-BASED PHYSICIANS, INFECTION CONTROL PREVENTIONISTS, LABORATORY DIRECTORS, AND OTHER APPLICABLE PARTNERS
OTHER RECIPIENTS: PLEASE DISTRIBUTE TO ASSOCIATION MEMBERS, STAFF, ETC.
The West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources, Bureau for Public Health was notified of an incident involving a food handler diagnosed with hepatitis A infection who worked in two restaurants during the infectious period between November 20, 2016 and December 11, 2016. The two restaurants are located in Tucker County, West Virginia (Canaan Valley area). Post exposure prophylaxis was given to the other co-workers/food handlers. In early January 2017, a second case of hepatitis A was identified in West Virginia. This particular case reported eating at one of the restaurants during the food handler's infectious period. The purpose of this alert is to raise awareness and ask for immediate reporting of hepatitis A cases to the local health department. For contact information on local health departments, please visit www.dhhr.wv.gov/localhealth/pages/map.aspx.
Patients with hepatitis A typically present with acute onset of fever, jaundice, dark urine, clay-colored stool, fatigue, anorexia, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and diarrhea. Laboratory evaluation should include liver function tests and serological testing for hepatitis A IgM. Hepatitis B surface antigen, hepatitis B core antibody and hepatitis C antibody should also be requested since all forms of acute viral hepatitis are clinically indistinguishable.
Hepatitis A spreads readily among close contact; attack rate is 20% among susceptible household members. Local health departments routinely offer hepatitis A vaccine or immune globulin to close contacts in order to prevent secondary cases. For that reason, providers are encouraged to report suspected and confirmed cases of hepatitis A promptly as required by West Virginia law.
For additional information on hepatitis A, visit www.dhhr.wv.gov/oeps/disease/FnW/Viral/Pages/HepA.aspx or www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/hav/index.htm. To report cases of viral hepatitis, please contact your local health department or the Office of Epidemiology and Prevention Services, Division of Infectious Disease Epidemiology at (304) 558-5358, extension 1 or the answering service at (304) 925-9946.

FROM: Rahul Gupta, MD, MPH, FACP, Commissioner and State Health Officer

WVDHHR, Bureau for Public Health

DATE: 1/13/2017

 

LOCAL HEALTH DEPARTMENTS: PLEASE DISTRIBUTE TO COMMUNITY HEALTH PROVIDERS, HOSPITAL-BASED PHYSICIANS, INFECTION CONTROL PREVENTIONISTS, LABORATORY DIRECTORS, AND OTHER APPLICABLE PARTNERS

OTHER RECIPIENTS: PLEASE DISTRIBUTE TO ASSOCIATION MEMBERS, STAFF, ETC.

The West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources, Bureau for Public Health was notified of an incident involving a food handler diagnosed with hepatitis A infection who worked in two restaurants during the infectious period between November 20, 2016 and December 11, 2016. The two restaurants are located in Tucker County, West Virginia (Canaan Valley area). Post exposure prophylaxis was given to the other co-workers/food handlers. In early January 2017, a second case of hepatitis A was identified in West Virginia. This particular case reported eating at one of the restaurants during the food handler's infectious period. The purpose of this alert is to raise awareness and ask for immediate reporting of hepatitis A cases to the local health department. For contact information on local health departments, please visit www.dhhr.wv.gov/localhealth/pages/map.aspx.

Patients with hepatitis A typically present with acute onset of fever, jaundice, dark urine, clay-colored stool, fatigue, anorexia, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and diarrhea. Laboratory evaluation should include liver function tests and serological testing for hepatitis A IgM. Hepatitis B surface antigen, hepatitis B core antibody and hepatitis C antibody should also be requested since all forms of acute viral hepatitis are clinically indistinguishable.

Hepatitis A spreads readily among close contact; attack rate is 20% among susceptible household members. Local health departments routinely offer hepatitis A vaccine or immune globulin to close contacts in order to prevent secondary cases. For that reason, providers are encouraged to report suspected and confirmed cases of hepatitis A promptly as required by West Virginia law.

For additional information on hepatitis A, visit www.dhhr.wv.gov/oeps/disease/FnW/Viral/Pages/HepA.aspx or www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/hav/index.htm. To report cases of viral hepatitis, please contact your local health department or the Office of Epidemiology and Prevention Services, Division of Infectious Disease Epidemiology at (304) 558-5358, extension 1 or the answering service at (304) 925-9946.

 

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wv han advisory 131 01132017 final.pdf

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