By Marie Rosenthal, MS
Florida’s Surgeon General Scott Rivkees, MD, declared a public health emergency to address the increase in hepatitis A virus cases in the state, which has reported 2,671 HAV cases from January 2018 to Aug. 3, 2019.
After remaining relatively stable in previous years, the number of HAV cases more than doubled from 2016 to 2017, and nearly doubled again in 2018. Cases this year have already surpassed those reported last year, according to the state health department.