Los Angeles County health officials have declared a community-wide outbreak of hepatitis A as cases surge to their highest levels in over a decade. With 165 confirmed infections in 2024—more than triple the previous year’s total—and 29 additional cases in just the first quarter of 2025, authorities are warning that the virus is now spreading beyond traditional high-risk groups.
The highly contagious liver infection has already claimed seven lives during the current outbreak, prompting health officials to recommend vaccination for all unprotected county residents as wastewater monitoring shows alarming increases in viral concentration throughout the region.
Unusual Transmission Patterns Emerge
What makes this outbreak particularly concerning is that, unlike previous hepatitis A clusters that primarily affected people experiencing homelessness or those who use drugs, the current surge shows broader community transmission. According to NPR , the disease has spread beyond expected geographic and demographic boundaries.
“When the outbreak started, we were mostly seeing it in people who had those risk factors,” explained Dr. Sharon Balter of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. “We’re seeing less of that and more of it in places where we’re not entirely sure where people got the virus.”…