CDC issues travel alert over hepatitis A in Manitoba

The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued a travel health notice for Manitoba as the Canadian province manages an ongoing hepatitis A outbreak, urging prospective visitors to review their vaccination status and take added precautions before heading to the region.

New CDC notice highlights hepatitis A risk in Manitoba

Latest updates on the CDC travel health notices list show a new entry for hepatitis A in Canada, identifying Manitoba as the location of an active outbreak. The notice, published in early June 2026, advises travelers that the province is reporting elevated levels of hepatitis A virus transmission compared with recent years and that additional protections are recommended for anyone heading to the area.

Publicly available information indicates that this is part of a broader hepatitis A situation that Manitoba first began documenting in 2025, with cases concentrated in northern communities and gradually spreading to other parts of the province. Reports from regional health authorities in Canada describe the situation as a declared outbreak, with ongoing case detection, targeted immunization campaigns, and expanded eligibility for publicly funded hepatitis A vaccines.

The CDC notice places Manitoba alongside other destinations where hepatitis A is considered a meaningful risk for travelers, even for short stays. While the advisory does not restrict travel, it is designed to alert U.S. residents that a routine trip to Manitoba currently carries a higher chance of exposure to the virus than usual.

How the outbreak is affecting local communities

Government of Manitoba health pages and outbreak communications describe hepatitis A as an acute liver infection that has recently re-emerged as a public health concern in several communities. Documents on the province’s hepatitis A information site outline an evolving response that includes expanding vaccine eligibility in specific First Nations and northern communities and updating clinical guidance for healthcare providers.

Regional public health alerts from neighboring jurisdictions in Canada reference a sustained stream of cases linked to Manitoba, particularly since early 2026. These notices report that infections have been identified both in residents and in people with travel or close-contact links to affected communities, reinforcing the view that local transmission has become entrenched rather than limited to isolated incidents.

Media and community reporting in recent months has pointed to the social and infrastructure challenges that can amplify an outbreak, including crowded housing, limited access to clean running water in some remote areas, and barriers to rapid vaccination uptake. While the outbreak response continues, these factors have raised concern that transmission may persist for some time, which is a key reason travelers are being told to treat Manitoba as a higher-risk setting for hepatitis A.

What travelers need to know before visiting Manitoba

The new CDC notice recommends that most unvaccinated travelers to Manitoba receive hepatitis A vaccine before departure. Guidance referenced in the CDC Yellow Book and other CDC hepatitis A resources indicates that vaccination is advised for people traveling to regions with ongoing outbreaks, regardless of where those regions fall on traditional risk maps.

Travel health sources generally suggest getting the first dose of hepatitis A vaccine at least two weeks before travel when possible, though protection is expected to begin to develop sooner and vaccination is still considered useful even if given shortly before departure. Many U.S. adults already have some level of protection because hepatitis A vaccination has been part of routine childhood immunization for years, but gaps remain, particularly among older adults who were never vaccinated and may not have natural immunity.

Publicly available CDC information explains that hepatitis A spreads primarily through the fecal-oral route, often via contaminated food and water or through close personal contact with an infected person. For travelers, that means a combination of vaccination and careful hygiene is recommended, including frequent handwashing with soap and safe food and water practices. The CDC notice for Manitoba echoes these general measures and underscores that even urban visitors or short-stay business travelers can be exposed.

On-the-ground response and vaccine expansion in Manitoba

Manitoba government health bulletins released in late 2025 and 2026 describe incremental expansions of publicly funded hepatitis A vaccination as the outbreak has grown. Letters and technical updates for healthcare providers outline steps such as extending free vaccine eligibility to additional communities, increasing supply to remote clinics, and using outreach teams and temporary immunization sites to reach residents who might otherwise go unvaccinated.

Outbreak control guidance from Manitoba Health notes that, in addition to vaccination, case investigation and contact tracing remain central tools. Public messaging encourages anyone with symptoms such as jaundice, dark urine, fatigue, or abdominal discomfort to seek testing promptly so that close contacts can be identified and, where appropriate, offered post-exposure prophylaxis.

At the same time, local surveillance dashboards from provincial authorities and neighboring health units highlight how hepatitis A cases in Manitoba have become a regional concern. These data products, while designed primarily for health professionals, indicate that the province is devoting continued resources to tracking the outbreak, offering immunization, and supporting affected communities, all of which factor into the risk environment that travelers may encounter.

Practical steps for U.S. travelers planning a Manitoba trip

For Americans planning to visit Manitoba in the coming weeks and months, travel medicine specialists routinely point to three core steps based on CDC and provincial guidance: verify vaccination, practice food and water safety, and stay aware of evolving public health information. Before travel, individuals are advised to review their immunization records with a healthcare provider, ensuring that they have received the recommended doses of hepatitis A vaccine and considering other routine or destination-specific vaccines when appropriate.

During a trip, standard food and water precautions remain important. General travel health resources advise choosing safely handled food, drinking treated or commercially packaged beverages where local water quality is uncertain, and prioritizing thorough handwashing, especially before eating and after using the restroom. These measures are widely recommended for reducing risk of hepatitis A and other gastrointestinal illnesses.

Finally, travelers are encouraged to monitor reputable public health outlets and travel health resources for updates on the Manitoba outbreak and on any future adjustments to the CDC travel notice. While the current advisory does not restrict travel, it signals that hepatitis A remains a notable concern in the province, and that informed, prepared travelers can significantly lower their risk of infection.