U.S. CDC issues travel warning for Manitoba over hepatitis A outbreak

In this Oct. 8, 2013, file photo, a sign marks the entrance to the federal U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta. (AP Photo/David Goldman, File)

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has released a travel notice related to the hepatitis A outbreak in Manitoba.

According to the CDC’s website, the agency issued a level one warning for the virus, which has killed four people since the outbreak began in northern Manitoba last year.

The CDC advises travellers to ensure they are vaccinated against hepatitis A, practice good hand hygiene, avoid sharing needles and engage in safe sex. It adds they should seek medical attention if they notice dark urine or clay-coloured stools, fatigue, diarrhea, fever, joint pain, loss of appetite, nausea, abdominal pain or jaundice during or after travel.

The CDC notes that hepatitis A is a liver infection caused by the hepatitis A virus. It explains the virus is contagious and spreads through close person-to-person contact.