PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Maine health officials have confirmed a case of hepatitis A in Portland.
WCSH-TV reports the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention say the person stayed at two shelters in Portland from Oct. 1 through Oct. 21. According to the Maine CDC, the person stayed at the Oxford Street Shelter and Florence House.
Maine and other states are experiencing an increase in reported cases among homeless people.
The disease can be spread through contaminated food and water or through sexual contact. Symptoms of an infection can include tiredness, low appetite, stomach pain and jaundice. Officials say vaccination is the best way to prevent the disease.
The Maine CDC’s Public Health Nursing Program will administer hepatitis A vaccine at Preble Street in Portland on Oct. 31 and Nov. 1.
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