Hepatitis A Outbreak in Manitoba

Today, I would like to focus on the Hepatitis A outbreak in Manitoba, an outbreak that led to the CDC issuing a Level 1 alert. As of June 4th, this outbreak has led to 784 documented cases, 165 people hospitalized, and 4 deaths. Oftentimes, the disease is transmitted through contact with someone’s feces or blood, including if someone ate food prepared by someone with Hepatitis A. Although people with Hepatitis A can be asymptomatic, possible symptoms include: fever, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea and jaundice. Communities with a higher risk of developing Hepatitis A include people who inject drugs, people who live with someone or have sexual contact with someone with Hep A, and if they live in or travel to a community with a high frequency of Hepatitis A, such as the First Nations’ land. 

A couple of the reasons that Hepatitis A is able to thrive in Manitoba are results of poor sanitation and overcrowding. Poor sanitation and sewage systems throughout the province cause communities to ingest water that has not been properly filtered; therefore, when these communities drink this water or wash their fruits and vegetables, they are also taking in fecal matter. Within Winnipeg, the city has become so overcrowded that people are forced into unstable housing and living in shelters, something that only exacerbates the issue.

In order to minimize the outbreak, Manitoba has begun to increase the eligibility and availability of the Hepatitis A vaccine as it can act as both a preventative measure for people in case of an exposure or if they take it within the first 2 weeks after being exposed to Hep A. Additionally, Manitoba has begun to make PEP immunoglobulin (Post-exposure Prophylaxis) readily available for vulnerable areas; this can serve as another treatment plan for those exposed to Hepatitis A.

Works Cited

Bernhardt, Darren. "U.S. Centers for Disease Control issues travel alert for Manitoba over hepatitis A outbreak." Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, 17 June 2026, www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/us-cdc-travel-alert-hepatitis-a-9.7238410. Accessed 27 July 2026.

"Hepatitis A." Province of Manitoba, gov.mb.ca/health/publichealth/diseases/hepatitisa.html. Accessed 12 July 2026.

"Hepatitis A." Travel Health Pro, travelhealthpro.org.uk/factsheet/21/hepatitis-a. Accessed 26 July 2026.

"Hepatitis A." World Health Organization, www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/hepatitis-a. Accessed 27 July 2026.

"Hepatitis A outbreak in Manitoba, Canada, with 601 cases, 133 hospitalizations, and three deaths." BEACON, Boston University, 12 May 2026, beaconbio.org/en/report/?reportid=076638bc-2470-43c8-9bbf-622a69042b18&eventid=5aad6404-3dda-404d-a190-d2236b4542ca. Accessed 27 July 2026.

"Manitoba's top doctor says hepatitis A impacting homeless, those in shelters at higher rate." Global News, 16 June 2026, globalnews.ca/video/11910491/manitobas-top-doctor-says-hepatitis-a-impacting-homeless-those-in-shelters-at-higher-rate. Accessed 27 July 2026.

Migueres, Marion, et al. "Hepatitis A: Epidemiology, High-Risk Groups, Prevention and Research on Antiviral Treatment." Viruses, vol. 13, https://doi.org/10.3390/v13101900. Accessed 26 July 2026.

""PROVINCE ANNOUNCES UPDATED ELIGIBILITY FOR FREE HEPATITIS A VACCINE." Province of Manitoba, 18 June 2026, news.gov.mb.ca/news/index.html?item=74298&posted=2026-06-18. Accessed 27 July 2026.