Florida is going through a Hepatitis A epidemic in the Bay area. Unfortunately, the numbers associated with this outbreak are only increasing.

As of last year, there have been 1,200 reported cases of Hepatitis A, and those statistics are continuing to grow. Of those, 300 new cases have been reported since the beginning of this year. Hepatitis A is an inflammation of the liver and is considered to be highly contagious. Although Hepatitis A is preventable with vaccines, those who aren’t vaccinated are still susceptible to it.

Some residents in the Pinellas County area say they are disgusted with the lack of information regarding the outbreak. They believe the local health department isn’t doing enough to keep people informed regarding what’s going on.

According to local news sources, one restaurant at Tarpon Springs had an outbreak that was kept from the public. A server at Hellas Restaurant and Bakery had apparently tested positive for Hepatitis A back in March. An employee at that same restaurant told local news stations that he had received a call informing him that he had been exposed to Hepatitis A. It was only then that he and the other employees were offered free Hepatitis A shots.

This isn’t the first time health departments in the Tampa Bay area have allegedly kept a Hepatitis A outbreak from the public. In January, Hillsborough County Health Director, Dr. Douglas Holt, refused to tell locals about four restaurants with infected workers.

Cities in nearby areas are now working to be as transparent as possible.