Staff reports 6:38 a.m.
Wednesday, February 6, 2019 6:39 am

CONCORD - The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services announced on Tuesday there has been a significant increase in the number of residents diagnosed with the hepatitis A virus in the past three months, including three in Strafford County.

The announcement came from the agency's Division of Public Health Services. Hepatitis A is known to cause liver disease and often occurs in populations experiencing homelessness and/or substance abuse issues.

The specific locations of outbreak in Strafford County were not immediately available.

Dr. Benjamin Chan (Courtesy photo)

During January 2019, DPHS reported seven individuals in Southern New Hampshire who had been diagnosed with hepatitis A.

Over the past three months, there have been a total of 13 diagnoses of hepatitis A across southern New Hampshire including those in Strafford County, five in Hillsborough, three in Rockingham, one in Cheshire and one in Merrimack.

According to DHHS, this is significant since the annual diagnoses over the past five years average only six or seven cases statewide.

"There are large outbreaks of hepatitis A occurring in other states across the country," said Dr. Benjamin Chan, New Hsmpshire State Epidemiologist. "While these outbreaks have often started in individuals experiencing homelessness and those with a substance use disorder, once it is in our communities it can spread very easily even to others without specific risk factors."

The hepatitis A virus is contagious and is transmitted when a person ingests the virus from objects, food or drinks contaminated by small, undetected amounts of stool from an infected person.

This virus can survive for months on surfaces, according to the CDC.

Visit DHHS for more information on hepatitis A in New Hampshire.