Minnesota Reports 53 Cases Of Hepatitis A In The Last Year

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- The Minnesota Department of Health is renewing their call for people to get up to date on vaccinations, as they report 53 known cases of Hepatitis A in the last year.

Of those, the most have been reported in Hennepin County; the figures reflect 19 cases reported there since Dec. 16, 2018.

While there have been no deaths linked to the disease in the last year in Minnesota, 75% of the cases involved hospitalization.

Hepatitis A is a virus that infects the liver and can cause mild, flu-like symptoms.

The health department listed the following as people at potentially high risk for contracting Hepatitis A:

• People who use injection/non-injection drugs.
• People experiencing homelessness or unstable housing.
• People who are currently or were recently incarcerated.
• Men who have sex with men (MSM).