Rising hepatitis A cases in Manitoba has prompted America’s leading national public health agency to issue a travel advisory.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) put out a Level 1 precautionary advisory on June 4, warning travellers that the acute liver disease is highly contagious and spreading across the province.
In its travel notice bulletin, the CDC says to prevent contracting the virus, travellers should “ensure that you are vaccinated, practice good hand hygiene, avoid sharing needles, syringes, or other drug equipment and practice safe sex.”
Manitoba’s chief provincial public health officer says the CDC’s travel warning is strictly public health messaging.
“They’re not deterring anybody, or suggesting anyone avoid travel to Manitoba, just informing them of the situation here,” he said.
Hepatitis A is an acute liver disease caused by the hepatitis A virus.
The province says hepatitis A can spread through contaminated water, food, and close contact with someone who has the infection. This virus is most commonly transmitted through the fecal-oral route, often due to poor hand hygiene.
While some people, including young children, may show no symptoms, others can experience illness ranging from mild to severe.
“It is generally speaking a mild infection that resolves,” said Dr. Christopher Labos. The epidemiologist added, “That being said, in certain circumstances, it can cause more severe damage and problems to the liver.”
Dr. Labos says it’s important for people to be aware of an outbreak when it’s happening.
“Practicing proper hand hygiene and making sure that we don’t have issues with contaminated food and water so that you don’t get the fecal-oral spread of hepatitis, which is what usually causes the transmission,” he said.
According to the Manitoba government, there have been 784 reported cases of hepatitis A associated with the ongoing outbreak that began in April 2025.
In Winnipeg, 186 cases have been reported. There have been 165 hospitalizations, eight intensive care unit admissions and four deaths.
“We really see that outbreak continuing,” said Dr. Roussin.
“Our response to that is quite urgent with case management, contact management, and you’ll see the continual increase eligibility for that vaccine.”
Dr. Roussin says continuous messaging on prevention is key.
“We want to continue that messaging (about) washing hands. If you’re one of the eligible, people for hepatitis A vaccine, certainly consider getting that and just keep an eye out for those symptoms,” he said.
Some of those symptoms include fever, loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, and dark urine.
Early May, the Manitoba government declared the spread of HIV a public health emergency, but have not done the same for hepatitis A.
Dr. Roussin says there are no plans at this time to change that.
“It’s really a matter of, is there a clear benefit from doing that and then we are going to take advantage of it if there is,” he said. “Right now, we’re not declaring that emergency because it doesn’t immediately bring something that we need.”
Most cases in rural, northern communities
Back in November, Garden Hill First Nation declared a state of emergency due to the rise in cases in that community.
Since then, the province has expanded free vaccine eligibility for anyone aged six months and older in several First Nations communities.
They are also offering free vaccines to staff and volunteers of non-health-care, community-based organizations in Winnipeg who serve people experiencing homelessness.
Peguis First Nation, situated about 180 kilometres north of Winnipeg, has also been dealing with cases since last July.
Denise Bear, nurse-in-charge at the community’s health centre, says the community has seen over 20 confirmed cases, but adds it’s not an accurate representation of the total number.
“Sometimes people have symptoms and they don’t come in to see the physician, or don’t come to the health centre, so those numbers are probably more that we don’t know about,” Bear said.
“We need to make sure that our places in our community are kept clean.”
Bear is urging those with symptoms to seek medical attention, to prevent spreading the virus to others, especially with warmer months ahead.
“Do proper handwashing, good handwashing. Teach your children to do good handwashing after the bathroom and let’s stop this hepatitis A from spreading any further,” she said.
