Hepatitis Program

• Educate Miami-Dade County residents about prevention of hepatitis A, B and C
• Advise prospective travelers about the importance of hepatitis A and B
• Investigate all reported cases of hepatitis A, B and C
• Provide hepatitis B vaccines to residents of homeless shelters
• Provide hepatitis A vaccine to people at risk for hepatitis A, including men who have sex with men and those chronically infected with hepatitis B and/or C
• Provide the hepatitis B vaccine and/ or screening to persons at risk for hepatitis, including contacts of persons with acute or chronic hepatitis B who do not have access to medical care, men who have sex with men and those chronically infected with hepatitis B and/or C
• Track clients who are positive for hepatitis C and clients of the sexually transmitted disease clinic

Health care providers are required to report all hepatitis cases to our Disease Control unit. Hepatitis investigators conduct surveillance and follow-up on those persons acutely infected with hepatitis A, B, and/ or C. Hepatitis A can be spread person to person and through contaminated food or water. Although it does not have a chronic state, failure to identify and treat affected individuals can lead to increased incidence, putting more residents and visitors at risk.

Hepatitis staff is responsible for contacting the reporting physician/hospital infection control or medical facility to obtain the necessary information. After all the documentation is received, the case is assigned to an investigator for the appropriate follow-up. Symptomatic cases (acute HAV or HBV) are priority and are to be interviewed and investigated immediately.

Timely notification from the provider is important to be able to assess the risk of any close contacts (e.g. household, sexual, food-handler) that may have been exposed to the HAV or HBV during the period of possible transmissibility. Post-exposure prophylaxis is offered to all at risk contacts of clients with hepatitis A or B.

Hepatitis staff performs follow-up on those clients who test positive for acute or chronic hepatitis B and/or C. Four to six weeks after the initial interview is conducted, the hepatitis investigator will make a telephone contact to assess if the client was able to make an appointment with a physician. In addition, clients are mailed an information packet, which includes: list of local providers, resources, educational brochures, and clinical studies.

Clients seen in Miami-Dade County clinics are offered hepatitis screening. Nursing staff conducts risk assessments, post-test hepatitis C counseling and referral.

We also work in collaboration with the University of Miami Project Outreach in Florida City and Borinquen Health Care Center to screen their high-risk clients for hepatitis. We are scheduled to vaccinate clients of various drug treatment centers. In addition we are vaccinating other high-risk clients at a homeless shelter and at one of our county jails.