Florida (WTFF) – Hepatitis A activity continues to increase in the state of Florida, according to recently published data.
On our peninsula alone, 385 cases of hepatitis A were reported in May, said the Florida Department of Health in their Vaccine-Preventable Disease Surveillance Report.
Hepatitis A outbreaks have been above the previous 5-year average since April 2018.
Drug users run a higher risk of catching the disease, says the report.
The zone where Gasparilla once roamed claims the highest hepatitis A activity levels, and much of central Florida follows closely behind.
Pinellas, Pasco and Hernando counties had the highest cumulative rate, which should come as no surprise to Floridians.
Hillsborough County trails behind a bit, along with most of central Florida, including Citrus, Marion, Sumter, Lake, Seminole, Orange, Volusia, Manatee, Okeechobee and Martin counties.
Overall, 38 counties reported outbreaks, outlined in black in the diagram below.
98% of cases have likely been acquired locally in Florida.
For the curious, you can download the entire report below in PDF format.
