Travel notice issued for parts of Canada over spread of contagious virus that causes liver damage
American health officials have issued an urgent travel warning for parts of Canada over the spread of a highly contagious disease.The CDC has issued a level 1 travel advisory for Americans heading to the province of Manitoba, Canada, over an outbreak of hepatitis A, a liver infection that spreads from contaminated food and drinks and from person to person. Since the outbreak began in April 2025, 658 Manitoba residents have been sickened and 142 have been hospitalized, five have been admitted to intensive care and four have died, according to the province's health department.Of those infected, 143 were in Manitoba's capital, Winnipeg, which has nearly 850,000 residents and is Canada's seventh-largest city. Health authorities warned the disease, which infects 1,600 to 3,300 Americans and about 250 Canadians every year, has an incubation period of 28 days, meaning people can unknowingly expose others in crowded environments for nearly a month before symptoms appear.Hepatitis A can be asymptomatic, but those who do develop symptoms may experience weakness, sudden nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, clay-colored stools, dark urine and joint pain. The illness can also cause itching and jaundice of the skin or eyes, which are signs of liver damage. While most people recover on their own, hepatitis A can lead to fulminant hepatitis, a rare form of liver failure caused by severe inflammation. When the liver can no longer filter toxins out of the blood, those substances build up and travel to vital organs like the brain. Manitoba, Canada, has reported 658 cases of hepatitis A since April 2025, many of which were in the capital of Winnipeg (pictured above)
Older individuals and those with a weakened immune system can be at a higher risk of developing more severe illness. The CDC's level 1 travel advisory urges Americans to 'practice usual precautions' when visiting Manitoba, which include regularly washing hands, avoiding sharing needles or syringes and using condoms during sex.The agency also recommends getting vaccinated against hepatitis A. The shot is typically given once to children between 12 and 23 months old and again six to 18 months later.CDC data shows about 75 percent of US kids have had at least one dose of the vaccine by age two, and 46 percent have gotten both recommended doses. In Canada, the hepatitis A vaccine is given once at six to 12 months old and again another six months later. The vaccine can also be given in adulthood to those who did not receive it as children. The CDC also warned travelers to seek immediate medical care if they experience dark urine or clay-colored stools, diarrhea, fatigue, fever, joint pain, loss of appetite, nausea, abdominal pain or jaundice during or after a trip to Manitoba. Hepatitis A can lead to nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain and dark urine (stock image)Hepatitis A spreads when a person ingests microscopic amounts of fecal matter from an infected individual, such as by consuming food or drinks handled by an infected person who did not properly wash their hands. Close physical contact, such as living in the same house as or having sex with an infected person, also raises the risk, along with sharing needles or touching contaminated surfaces. Hepatitis A does not, however, spread through casual contact like coughing, sneezing or sitting next to someone. There are no specific treatments for hepatitis A, as the virus usually clears out on its own and the liver heals within a few months. Health experts recommend rest to lessen symptoms and avoiding alcohol, which can further damage the liver.
