Hepatitis A with your McMuffin? Alabama McDonald’s employee positive, may have exposed customers

Posted on March 28, 2012 by Douglas Powell

Tuscaloosa News reports customers who ate at the McDonald’s in Northport on McFarland Boulevard between Feb. 28 and March 14 may have been exposed to hepatitis A, according to the Alabama Department of Public Health.

Customers who visited the restaurant on March 14 or during breakfast hours on March 16 are asked to contact their health-care provider as soon as possible to receive a hepatitis A vaccine, because an infected employee may have spread the virus.

“Hepatitis A vaccine and immune globulin can prevent hepatitis A virus infection, but only when given within 14 days of exposure,” said Dr. Donald Williamson, state health officer.

That means that anyone who ate at the restaurant on those dates should receive treatment no later than Friday. People previously vaccinated for hepatitis A are considered protected from the virus.

Hepatitis A again in sun-dried tomatoes ‘celebrity chefs’ favorite’

Posted on March 4, 2012 by Douglas Powell

Hepatitis A has once again popped up in dried tomatoes, but it’s not new.

The Daily Mail reports U.K. health types are investigating an outbreak of hepatitis A in at least seven people, linked to sun-dried tomatoes; four were hospitalized.

The health alert was triggered when two of the cases were reported late last year to the Heath Protection Agency.

Wait, Eurosurveillance reported on Feb. 9, 2012, that in October 2011, two primary cases of hepatitis A virus (HAV) infection with identical HAV genotype IB strains to those seen in other outbreaks associated with semi-dried tomatoes were reported in England. Both cases had consumed semi-dried tomatoes.

Epidemiological investigations revealed two additional cases of genotype IB strains with different sequences who also reported having consumed semi-dried tomatoes. In November, five cases of HAV infection with closely related strains were identified in the Netherlands. A foodborne multiple-strain outbreak was suspected.

A spokesman for the Food Standards Agency said, "Sun-dried tomatoes are being investigated as one possible source of the hepatitis A cases. However, no food source has been conclusively identified and no other relevant cases have been reported in the UK.”

Hepatitis A is one of the few causes of foodborne illness that only cycles through humans – and their poop. An outbreak of hepatitis A means human sewage came into contact with the food (which then wasn’t cooked) or someone shedding the virus had a poop, failed to adequately wash their hands, and then prepared an uncooked food.

Some 140 people became sick with hepatitis A in Australia in late 2009 linked to semi-dried tomatoes.

Health alert issued by Brisbane Grammar School after volunteer canteen worker contracts hepatitis A

Posted on February 29, 2012 by Douglas Powell

Sorenne will not be going to the Brisbane Grammar School for grades 6-12. It’s not the $20,000 a year in tuition, another $20,000 a year for boarding, the $400 for the privilege of applying or that it’s an all-boys school.

I have problems when a school with such a fee structure – or any school — relies on volunteers to run the tuckshop that offers breakfast and lunch, and when a volunteer contracts hepatitis A, the best the school can come up with is, the canteen abides by the proper standards and, “Full food-handling protocol is followed in the school.”

I don’t know what full food-handling protocol is, but some details would be nice. Maybe even a vaccination requirement for all volunteers.

The Courier Mail reports the school told its community by letter on Tuesday, on the urging of public health authorities, that they were under a low-level risk of Hepatitis A.

"We were told a volunteer worker had subsequently been diagnosed with Hep A after she had worked at the canteen,” said a spokeswoman.

"The public health authority spoke to the worker, figured out what she did and when they found out it involved food, as a precautionary measure asked the school to advise everyone. The risk is deemed to be extremely low."

A possible outbreak of Hepatitis A associated with semi-dried tomatoes, England, July-November 2011

Posted on February 14, 2012 by Douglas Powell

In October 2011, two primary cases of hepatitis A virus (HAV) infection with identical HAV genotype IB strains to those seen in other outbreaks associated with semi-dried tomatoes were reported in England. Both cases had consumed semi-dried tomatoes. Epidemiological investigations revealed two additional cases of genotype IB strains with different sequences who also reported having consumed semi-dried tomatoes. In November, five cases of HAV infection with closely related strains were identified in the Netherlands. A foodborne multiple-strain outbreak is suspected.

In October 2011, two cases of hepatitis A with a genotype IB strain identical to that seen in a previous outbreak associated with consumption of semi-dried tomatoes, Hu/Netherlands/RIVM-006/2010 [1] , were reported to the Health Protection Agency (HPA) in England [2].The strain was identified based on 100% sequence identity over 505 base pairs of the VP1-2PA junction.

Neither of these patients had travelled to an endemic country within 50 days before the onset of symptoms [3] and both reported substantial consumption of semi-dried tomatoes (also known as sun-dried tomatoes). In this preliminary report of the ongoing investigation we highlight the finding of this rare hepatitis strain which may be related to the possible consumption of semi-dried tomatoes in at least two European countries, the United Kingdom (UK) and the Netherlands.

Cheesecake Factory of hepatitis A

Posted on February 10, 2012 by Douglas Powell

While assuring the public that there is no evidence of an outbreak, the Central District Health Department is alerting the public that an employee of the Cheesecake Factory on North Milwuakee Road in Boise, Idaho, was infected with the hepatitis A virus, but is no longer infectious.

CDHD is alerting patrons who may have dined at the restaurant between Dec. 13, 2011, and Jan. 22, 2012, that they may have been exposed to hepatitis A. If a person has had a hepatitits A vaccine or have had the illness in the past, the CDHD said they are protected from the infection.

"The risk to the public health is extremely low because the employee was not involved in food preparation," said a statement from CDHD. "Still, there is the possibility that patrons could have been exposed to hepatitis A."

The Cheesecake Factory has fully cooperated with the investigation into the situation. The employee is believed to have practiced good hand hygiene. The risk of exposure is considered very small, but not zero.

Hepatitis A alert at Gonzalez restaurant in Dallas

Posted on February 9, 2012 by Douglas Powell

If you’ve eaten at Gonzalez Restaurant, 8121 Bruton Road, in Dallas, between January 25-28, you may want to see a doctor.

An employee who was diagnosed with hepatitis A went to work and may have come in contact with customers.

Health-types are working to alert medical care providers to be on the lookout for any customers who may have been infected.

Hepatitis A risk for yogurt eaters in North Carolina

Posted on December 20, 2011 by Douglas Powell

Patrons of the Fruitti Yogurt in Goldsboro, N.C. are being advised to receive a free protective shot against hepatitis A.

The Wayne County Health Department says anyone who ate at the 317 Spence Ave. restaurant on Dec. 7 needs to visit a free clinic at 301 North Herman St.

The exposure might have occurred on Dec. 7 because of an infection in an employee who was diagnosed on Dec. 14.

The hepatitis A vaccine reduces the risk of the disease when given within 14 days of exposure.

If you’ve been previously vaccinated, no worries.

But did the person work in food service? Hepatitis A in a University of Guelph residence

Posted on November 29, 2011 by Douglas Powell

Health-types have reported a suspected case of hepatitis A in a student living in Maritime Hall in the University of Guelph’s South Residence (that’s in Canada).

They say the risk of infection is low, however, as a precaution, Public Health is notifying students that live in the affected residence and asking them to be immunized at a special clinic to be offered at Student Health Services. Vaccination within two weeks of exposure may help prevent illness from the virus.

Did that student work in food service in any capacity, on-campus or off?

Hepatitis A case diagnosed at Canberra school cafeteria

Posted on November 10, 2011 by Douglas Powell

A canteen worker at a Canberra (that’s the capital of Australia) high school has been diagnosed with hepatitis A, sparking a mild health scare.

ACT Health says there is a very low risk to the 1,000 students and 100 staff and Lyneham High School but as a precaution is offering vaccines to anyone who might have eaten from the canteen between October 17 and November 4.

"It can potentially be transmitted through food … (but) the risk to people who have eaten at this canteen is also very low," acting ACT chief health officer Andrew Pengilley told reporters in Canberra on Thursday.

Miles de personas debieron ser vacunadas a causa de un mozo de Cheddar’s Casual Cafe con Hepatitis A

Posted on October 25, 2011 by Douglas Powell

Traducido por Gonzalo Erdozain

Resumen del folleto informativo mas reciente:

– Se estima que 7,700 comensales pudieron haber sido expuestos a la Hepatitis A en Texas
– Tradicionalmente los mozos no preparan alimentos, pero por lo general si están en contacto con el hielo para las bebidas y las ensaladas

– El lavado de manos puede reducir el riesgo de infectar a otros con Hepatitis A. Mantén la caca alejada de tus manos.

Los folletos informativos son creados semanalmente y puestos en restaurantes, tiendas y granjas, y son usados para entrenar y educar a través del mundo. Si usted quiere proponer un tema o mandar fotos para los folletos, contacte a Ben Chapman a benjamin_chapman@ncsu.edu.
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Category Archives: Hepatitis A