As adult viral hepatitis infections are on the rise in 22 states, some experts attribute the outbreaks to an increase in homelessness and the opioid crisis.
Within the states experiencing a relentless growth in hepatitis A, the highest number of reports are in Ohio (3,766), Tennessee (3,167), Indiana (2,660), South Carolina (2,233), and Georgia (1,990).
Concurrently, the same states also suffer among the worst homelessness rates and opioid-related deaths in the country.
Ohio is ranked in the top 10 United States for destitute populations. Montgomery County in the southwestern part of the state had the highest rates of drug overdose-related deaths in 2017, the majority of which have been attributed to opioid addiction.
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