Florida, Philadelphia declare hepatitis A outbreaks public health emergency

The state of Florida and city of Philadelphia each declared public health emergencies last week to address hepatitis A outbreaks. Among other actions, public health officials urged health care providers to vaccinate individuals at risk for the virus, such as people who are homeless or use intravenous drugs and men who have sex with men. They also recommend good hand hygiene and other practices to prevent the virus from spreading. Florida has reported more than 2,000 cases of hepatitis A this year and Philadelphia more than 150.