LOS ANGELES, May 6 (Xinhua) -- The Los Angeles County has declared a community-wide outbreak of hepatitis A, citing a sustained rise in clinical cases and elevated levels of the virus detected in local wastewater.

A total of 165 hepatitis A cases in Los Angeles County have been reported since 2024 -- more than triple the number of cases reported in 2023, according to a release Monday by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health.

Of the 29 hepatitis A cases confirmed so far in 2025, the majority have occurred in individuals without known risk factors such as recent travel or unstable housing, the department noted.

The increase in infections among people without traditional risk factors has coincided with rising concentrations of the hepatitis A virus in wastewater samples. While the department emphasized that the overall risk to the general public remains low, it urged community-wide preventive measures to curb further transmission. ■