California Governor Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency on Friday to combat a hepatitis A outbreak that has killed 18 people in San Diego County. The declaration allows the state to purchase vaccines directly from manufacturers, bypassing an inadequate federal supply.
Dr. Gil Chavez, epidemiologist at the California Department of Public Health, said the state would place an order for vaccines early next week. Since the outbreak began, California has distributed 81,000 federally-funded doses, but local jurisdictions report insufficient supplies.
The outbreak is the largest person-to-person transmission of hepatitis A in the US since the vaccine became available in 1996. The majority of cases involve homeless individuals or drug users. Statewide, there have been 576 cases, including 490 in San Diego County, 71 in Santa Cruz County, and eight in Los Angeles County. Hospitalisations total 386, with 342 in San Diego.
San Diego County reported its first cases in November, with the outbreak traced back to March. The county has installed hand-washing stations in high-risk areas and vaccinated over 57,000 people. Despite these efforts, cases continue to rise.
US Representative Darrell Issa called for federal emergency funding, noting that statewide cases are three times the number reported in 2015. The CDC has assigned officials to San Diego since May to assist with infection control. Hepatitis A is a viral liver disease spread via faecal contamination, with an incubation period of 15 to 50 days.
