Hepatitis Outbreak: Senor Baja in Pomona, California
Three people who ate at Senor Baja, a Pomona, California, have been diagnosed with acute hepatitis A. The restaurant is located at 320 E. Foothill Boulevard. Los Angeles County health officials are investigating the outbreak, hoping to find the source of the outbreak and prevent more illness. According to a KCAL Channel 2 story:
People who ate at Senor Baja in August and develop symptoms of hepatitis A before Oct. 1 -- including jaundice, fever, light colored stools or dark urine -- should contact their doctor.
"The purpose of this alert is to identify the source of this disease cluster and to prevent additional cases of hepatitis A," said Dr. Jonathan Fielding, the county's public health director."Prompt diagnosis will allow for Immune Globulin to be given to close contacts of cases and will allow Public Health to identify and investigate cases of acute hepatitis A," he said.
Hepatitis A can cause serious injury, including inflammation of the liver, which can be fatal. A significant number of hepatitis A outbreaks have been traced to an infected food handler at a restaurant who then spread it to diners. Restaurants and other eating establishments are responsible for making sure food handlers wash their hands thoroughly after using the restroom. Employees who have diarrhea, nausea, or other symptoms of hepatitis A or other foodborne illnesses should be sent home.
Pritzker | Rouhonen is one of the few law firms in the United States that practices extensively in the area of food poisoning litigation. The firm has collected millions of dollars for hepatitis A victims and other victims of food poisoning. To contact Pritzker | Ruohonen, call toll-free at 1-888-377-8900, e-mail fhp@pritzkerlaw.com or fill out the online, attorney-consultation form. The hepatitis A virus is spread through fecal contamination of foods and drinks. Anyone who has close contact with an infected person risks acquiring the virus.
Source: Pomona Restaurant Linked To Hepatitis-A Outbreak, KCAL Channel 2 (Los Angeles), September 18, 2006.