U.S. Issues Travel Warning as Manitoba Hepatitis A Outbreak Surpasses 780 Cases
The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a Level 1 travel notice for Manitoba, Canada, as a hepatitis A outbreak continues to escalate across the province. The warning, issued on June 4, 2026, comes as Manitoba reported 784 total cases linked to the outbreak that began in April 2025 — a significant increase from 658 cases reported just one month earlier.
Outbreak Origins and Spread
According to Dr. Brent Roussin, Manitoba’s Chief Public Health Officer, the outbreak originated in several northern communities and was largely driven by inadequate access to sanitation and clean water. Since its initial emergence, the virus has spread across the province, with nearly 25 percent of infections — 186 cases — concentrated in Winnipeg.
Roussin emphasized that the CDC notice is informational in nature and does not discourage travel to the province. “It’s just to inform that there is an outbreak here. It doesn’t deter travel, there’s no reason to think about it,” he said.
Hospitalizations and Deaths
The outbreak has resulted in serious health consequences. Since April 2025, there have been 165 hospitalizations, including eight admissions to intensive care units and four deaths. Dr. Roussin noted that the populations hardest hit include people living in crowded conditions such as emergency shelters and precarious housing, as well as individuals who inject drugs or use other substances.
Vaccination Efforts Expand Across Communities
Although hepatitis A vaccination is not part of Manitoba’s routine immunization program, the province has been steadily expanding eligibility. Communities added to the vaccination program include Cross Lake First Nation (Pimicikamak Cree Nation), Ebb and Flow First Nation, Bloodvein First Nation, and Tataskweyak Cree Nation (Split Lake Cree First Nation). The Island Lake area — encompassing Garden Hill, St. Theresa Point, Wasagamack, and Red Sucker Lake First Nation — was the first region included beginning in May 2025.
Eligibility also extends to anyone who travels to or works in these communities, inmates at correctional facilities, and staff and volunteers at community-based non-healthcare organizations in Winnipeg that serve homeless populations.
Expert Outlook
Infectious disease specialist Dr. Isaac Bogoch said he does not expect the outbreak to require vaccination beyond the currently eligible communities and groups. Based on available data, the virus does not appear to be spreading in the general population, making widespread provincial or cross-border transmission unlikely.
“It appears that this is a community that lives predominantly in shelters, in low-income and resource-poor areas and in areas that have poor sanitation and hygiene infrastructure,” Bogoch said. “That’s why I think a targeted vaccination approach is probably the best approach at this time.”
Bogoch cautioned that while hepatitis A deaths are rare and children often experience few or no symptoms, adults who contract the virus can become severely ill. “Some people say something like this: ‘It won’t kill you, but you wish you were dead,'” he said, underscoring the importance of vaccination as a preventive tool.
Hepatitis A is a liver-affecting virus that can cause symptoms including nausea, vomiting, dark urine, and jaundice. Vaccination can prevent illness both before and shortly after exposure to the virus.
