Ottawa says vaccination clinics in works for northern region with hepatitis A outbreak

The federal government is working to help contain the hepatitis A outbreak that has hit the remote Island Lake region in northern Manitoba.

Indigenous Services Canada said Tuesday it is working closely with Manitoba Health, local leadership and nursing stations to protect community health and contain the outbreak.

Spokesman Eric Head said the federal department is working with the Four Arrows Regional Health Authority to support community-wide vaccination clinics.

Four Arrows deferred to the Anisininew Okimawin Island Lake Tribal Council when asked for comment. The Tribal Council not respond to a request for comment Tuesday.

“We are also reinforcing safe water and sanitation measures and sharing culturally relevant health information on prevention,” Head wrote in an email.

The region involves four communities — Garden Hill, St. Theresa Point, Wasagamack and Red Sucker Lake — that are about 600 kilometres northeast of Winnipeg and are accessed primarily by air or winter roads.

The lack of infrastructure, housing, and basic water and sewer systems in the remote communities have contributed to the spread of the potentially deadly virus, Manitoba Health has warned.

Hepatitis A is an acute liver infection caused by the hepatitis A virus. It can easily be spread to others by drinking water or eating food that has been contaminated by the feces of an infected person.

An outbreak was declared more than a year ago, when it initially affected several communities in northern Manitoba. The virus has since spread to more communities, and the number of cases climbed to 601, as of April 26. The outbreak has killed three people and sent 133 to hospital with serious illness.

Manitoba First Nations “have extra challenges preventing the spread of hepatitis A due to a need for more water and sewer services,” Head said.

“We have approved funding for Garden Hill First Nation to purchase two new water delivery trucks which will be mobilized to the community via the winter road to support reliable access to safe water.”

The winter road system to the Island Lake communities closed in late March, according to Manitoba Transportation and Infrastructure.

Indigenous Services Canada also funded Garden Hill to deliver key material and supplies over the winter road to address necessary repairs to residential water cistern and sewage holding tank systems “and remains committed to supporting further work to restore running water to homes.”

The spokesman did not respond by deadline when asked whether Garden Hill will have to wait until next winter for the winter roads to reopen to receive the water delivery trucks and equipment.

His email pointed to “significant investments” and initiatives that are underway to transfer infrastructure service delivery to First Nation communities.

From April 2016 to December 2025, the department has spent $1.01 billion on 151 water and wastewater projects on all 63 Manitoba First Nations, 43 of which are ongoing, he said Tuesday.

carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca