The Imperial County Public Health Department says that a suspected case of hepatitis A has been confirmed by the Centers for Disease Control.

According to officials , the strain is the same as the one circulating in San Diego. The individual with the virus was living in downtown San Diego prior to arriving in Imperial County. There is no evidence that the individual contracted the hepatitis A in Imperial County. Persons that had been in contact with the individual have been offered the hepatitis A vaccine. The vaccine is available at no charge for the homeless of Imperial County at the Public Health Department. For all others the vaccine is available at local pharmacies , community clinics and healthcare providers. Last week California Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. declared a state of emergency to help control the state's hepatitis A outbreak and increase the supply of adult vaccine to meet current needs.