Another Louisville resident dies from hepatitis A, bringing total to 5

Zahria Rogers | Courier Journal

Show Caption Hide Caption Louisville health department's hepatitis A team Louisville health department's hep A team

A fifth Louisville resident has died from hepatitis A, according to the Louisville health department.

The death happened "in the last five days or so," said Dave Langdon, spokesman for the Louisville Metro Department of Public Health and Wellness. The department did not release the name or age of the person who died.

Langdon said the amount of hepatitis A cases per day has declined to about one, down from 4.1 in April.

"It obviously could go up before the end of the month," he said.

A hepatitis A outbreak was declared in Louisville in November 2017. As of Aug. 10, there were 580 local cases of the disease, with five related deaths.

Louisville weather: Overnight rain brings Thursday floods; wet weekend ahead

Statewide, there have been eight deaths and more than 700 hospitalizations associated with the illness as of Aug. 4, according to the Kentucky Department for Public Health.

The city's health department said in a news release that it will continue to work to control an outbreak of acute hepatitis A, which it said has been centered around the city's homeless and drug users, but also to others as well.

Hepatitis A is a viral, communicable liver disease that is transmitted person-to-person through contaminated food or water. Symptoms can include fatigue, sudden nausea and vomiting, dark urine and jaundice.

As far as preventing the disease, the advice has not changed: Get vaccinated and wash your hands before meals and after using the restroom.

"It's really the same message that ... we've been saying — everybody should get vaccinated," Langdon.

As of Aug. 7, around 80,000 people in the region have received a vaccination.

The hepatitis A vaccine requires two shots, administered six months apart. The first provides more than 90 percent immunity, according to the city health department. After the second dose, you do not have to be vaccinated again.

Some food establishments pay for employees to get vaccinated. Those working in food service can get a vaccine for a discounted rate of $25.

Students at JCPS are required to have the vaccination to attend school.

Read more of our outbreak coverage:

Kentucky's hepatitis A outbreak is the worst in the nation

What you should know about hepatitis A and the outbreak in Louisville

JCPS students have more time to get hepatitis A vaccine

Louisville is experiencing a hepatitis A epidemic. Should you get a vaccine?