A confirmed case of hepatitis A was reported at Perry County School District last week, but public health officials said described the risk of the disease spreading to students was "low."
District parents were informed of the diagnosis in an email sent Wednesday, Feb. 26, and said the infected person was receiving appropriate medical treatment.
"The District 32 Nursing Department constantly monitors health issues within the campus community, reporting to stale officials on a weekly basis, and has no reason to suspect that anyone else has been compromised by the virus, which was contracted outside of the education environment," wrote PCSD assistant superintendent Jeanie White in the email.
According to the Missouri Department of Health and Human Services, hepatitis A is a highly contagious liver infection caused by the hepatitis A virus. It can range from a mild illness lasting a few weeks to a severe illness lasting several months.
Hepatitis A usually spreads when a person unknowingly ingests the virus from objects, food, or drinks contaminated by small, undetected amounts of stool from an infected person.
Hepatitis A can also spread from close personal contact with an infected person such as through sex or caring for someone who is ill.
Contamination of food (this can include frozen and undercooked food) by hepatitis A can happen at any point: growing, harvesting, processing, handling, and even after cooking. Contamination of food or water is more likely to occur in countries where hepatitis A is common and in areas where there are poor sanitary conditions or poor personal hygiene.
"Inadequate hand washlng allows the illness lo be spread more easily, so proper hand washing is important," White wrote in the email to parents.
In the United States, chlorination of water kills hepatitis A virus that enters the water supply. The Food and Drug Administration routinely monitors natural bodies of water used for recreation for fecal contamination so there is no need for monitoring for hepatitis A virus specifically.
"All common spaces of the school facilities hove been disinfected by custodial staff as a preventative measure," White wrote. "Symptoms of hepatitis A are: Yellow skin or eyes, not wanting to eat, upset stomach, vomiting, stomach pain, lever, dark urine, diarrhea, joint pain, or feeling tired. If your student is exhibiting any of these, please contact your health care provider."
Hepatitis A vaccinations are available at the Perry County Health Department, located at 406 N. Spring St. in Perryville, during regular business hours from 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday.
For more information, contact the Perry County Health Department at 573-547-6564.
"The district will continue to follow all guidelines recommended by local and state health officials," White wrote. "If you have questions or concerns, please reach out to your school nurse."
