NEOMED Professor Links Increase in Hep A to Drug Use
May 3, 2019
The county neighboring Northeast Ohio Medical University is seeing a rise in reported cases of hepatitis A, a liver disease caused by a virus.
Thomas File, M.D., a professor of internal medicine, attributes the increase in cases throughout Summit County to drug abuse.
Hepatitis A is transmitted from person to person. In a recent interview with the Akron Beacon Journal, Dr. File explained, “This is a reflection of the negative impact of the opioid crisis and epidemic. Hepatitis A is classically not transmitted by tainted needles, but drug abusers tend to be exposed to other risks such as tainted food and water. They have a higher risk of developing hepatitis A.”