HEPATITIS A OUTBREAK HAS CONFIRMED 103 CASES IN NEW MEXICO SINCE 2018

CLOVIS (KSMX)- Officials with the New Mexico Department of Health have announced that a second person has died in association with the recent hepatitis A outbreak. The department has confirmed 103 cases of hepatitis A in adults ages 19 to 64 in Bernalillo County since October 2018 in addition to one confirmed case in Santa Fe County. Officials say the virus primarily impacts people who use injection and non-injection drugs as well as people experiencing homelessness.

Hepatitis A is a contagious liver disease. It can be mild, lasting a few weeks to a severe illness spanning many months. It is contracted when a person ingest fecal matter from contact with objects, food, or drinks contaminated with feces of an infected person.