美国在7月28日星期日纪念世界肝炎日，此时甲型肝炎病毒正在爆发。
全国疫情始于2017年8月，首次报告病例出现在肯塔基州。根据疾病控制和预防中心的数据，自那以后，它已经蔓延到全国各州，感染了22000多人，导致13000人住院。
肯塔基州受灾最严重，截至2019年7月，共有4777人被感染。俄亥俄州报告了自2018年初以来的第二高感染人数，有3200人。
甲型肝炎的症状包括发烧、黄疸(皮肤和眼睛发黄)、疲劳、恶心和腹泻。
与其他形式的肝炎不同，甲型肝炎通常不会导致慢性肝病。
病毒可以通过多种方式传播。据世界卫生组织称，这通常与缺乏适当的卫生设施或获得清洁饮用水有关。
美国过去的疫情与人们食用受污染的食物和人与人之间的接触有关。
在当前疫情爆发之前，美国每年报告的甲型肝炎病例数自20世纪90年代末以来一直在下降。
1999年，疾控中心开始建议儿童在第一年接种甲型肝炎疫苗。
2000年至2005年间，美国将报告的病例数量减半，从10，000例减少到5，000例。
甲型肝炎疫苗有95%的效果。
在美国食品和药物管理局发布了2005 食品和药物管理局食品法典，2013年创下1390例的历史新低。
该守则为食品服务公司提供了关于洗手对防止“五大”食源性病原体传播的重要性的指导方针，这些病原体包括沙门氏菌、志贺氏菌、大肠杆菌、诺如病毒和甲型肝炎
今天，所有50个州都有法律要求餐饮服务机构展示提醒员工洗手的标志。
目前的甲型肝炎疫情不同于以往的疫情。在许多州，无家可归者和静脉注射毒品者面临的风险最大。
一些州，如路易斯安那州，已经有406人被感染，已经建立了免费的疫苗接种站，以防止脆弱人群的疫情爆发。
迄今为止，加州和犹他州是唯一在其管辖范围内宣布疫情爆发的州。
在一份关于疫情结束的报告中，加州将其战胜病毒归功于当地和联邦卫生部门的“巨大努力”。
在纪念世界肝炎日的推特上，Medicare.gov提醒美国老年人接受丙肝筛查，丙肝是另一种可能导致肝癌的疾病。
ON WORLD HEPATITIS DAY THE U.S. IS BATTLING AN OUTBREAK
The United States marked World Hepatitis Day on Sunday, July 28, amid an ongoing outbreak of the Hepatitis A virus.
The national outbreak started in August 2017, with the first reported cases found in Kentucky. Since then, it has reached states across the country, infecting more than 22,000 people and resulting in 13,000 hospitalizations, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Kentucky has been hit the hardest, with 4,777 people infected as of July 2019. Ohio reported the second highest numbers with 3,200 people infected since the beginning of 2018.
Hepatitis A symptoms include fever, jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes), fatigue, nausea, and diarrhea.
Unlike other forms of hepatitis, hepatitis A does not usually cause chronic liver disease.
The virus can be spread in multiple ways. According to the World Health Organization, it is most often associated with lack of proper sanitation or access to clean drinking water.
Past outbreaks in the U.S. have been associated with people consuming contaminated food and person-to-person contact.
Prior to the start of the current outbreak, the annual number of Hepatitis A cases reported in the U.S. had been in decline since the late 1990s.
In 1999 the CDC began recommending that children be vaccinated against Hepatitis A during their first year of life.
Between 2000 and 2005, the U.S. cut the number of reported cases in half, from 10,000 to 5,000.
The Hepatitis A vaccine is 95% effective.
Infection rates continued to decrease after the Food and Drug Administration released the 2005FDA Food Code, hitting an all-time low of 1,390 cases in 2013.
The code provides guidelines to food service companies about the importance of hand washing to prevent transmission of the "Big 5" food borne pathogens: Salmonella, Shigella, E.coli, Norovirus, and Hepatitis A.
Today, all 50 states have laws requiring that food service establishments display signs reminding employees to wash their hands.
The current Hepatitis A epidemic is different from past outbreaks. In many states, people experiencing homelessness and intravenous drug users are the most at-risk.
Some states, like Louisiana where 406 people have been infected, have set up free vaccination stations in an effort to head-off the outbreak among vulnerable populations.
So far, California and Utah are the only states to have declared the outbreak over in their jurisdiction.
In a report on the end of the outbreak, California attributed its victory over the virus the "monumental efforts" local and federal health departments.
In a tweet to mark World Hepatitis Day, Medicare.gov reminded older Americans to get screened for Hepatitis C, another form of the disease which can cause liver cancer.
