ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) - The New Mexico Department of Health is investigating an outbreak of hepatitis A in the Albuquerque area.
The department says that since the end of October it has confirmed four acute infections in adults and that the outbreak has primarily involved people who are homeless and injecting drugs.
Hepatitis A is a contagious liver disease that results from infection with the hepatitis A virus. It can range in severity from a mild illness lasting a few weeks to a severe illness lasting several months.
According to the department, hepatitis A is usually spread when a person ingests fecal matter, from contact with objects, food, or drinks contaminated by the feces or stool of an infected person.
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