Florida had 38 reported cases of hepatitis A last week, bringing the total number of cases this year to 3,163 as of Saturday, according to the state Department of Health.
Duval and Lee counties led the state in newly reported cases last week, each with six, according to a News Service of Florida analysis of the data. That brings the total number of hepatitis A cases to 48 this year in Duval County and 96 in Lee County.
Citrus, Santa Rosa and Volusia counties each reported four new cases last week, bringing the numbers in those counties to 106, 33 and 285, respectively. Pasco and Pinellas counties, meanwhile, still lead the state in the number of cases of hepatitis A with 408 and 377, respectively, but there were no new reported cases in either of those areas last week.
Pasco and Pinellas were two of 50 counties across the state that had no new reported cases last week. Hepatitis A, which can cause liver damage, can be spread through such things as food or drinks that have been contaminated with fecal matter from people with the disease.
Health officials have urged Floridians to get vaccinated against the disease. On Aug. 1, Department of Health Secretary Scott Rivkees, who doubles as the state surgeon general, declared a public health emergency related to the hepatitis A outbreak.
