Food Poisoning Law Blog : Food Poisoning Lawyer & Attorney : PritzkerLaw : Food Safety, Outbreaks & Recalls

Food poisoning at the McDonald's restaurant in Milan, Illinois, caused the McDonald's Hep A outbreak this summer that sickened at least 34 people, including 14 who were hospitalized. The outbreak also prompted the distribution of prophylaxis to more than 5,000 people who ate at the Milan McDonald's to stop them from becoming ill.

That was the conclusion of an outbreak summary posted Thursday by the Illinois Department of Public Health Division of Infectious Disease.

The official report said Hepatitis A was spread at the restaurant by two infected workers who did not wear gloves and handled bread that was not later cooked. Health officials found hand-washing deficient in more than half of the 48 Milan McDonald's employees who were evaluated for their techniques after the July 11-August 10 outbreak. Hand-washing issues also were noted in an April 2009 health inspection of the Milan McDonald's -- before the outbreak. 

 "If the first employee with Hepatitis A had used proper hand washing technique while working, the transmission of Hepatitis A through food would not have occurred,'' the report said.

National food safety lawyer Fred Pritzker said the results of the investigation are interesting, but predictable. Hep A outbreaks involving restaurants are all too common and they usually involve failure to train and supervise employees regarding proper hand washing.

"The underlying problem concerns the economics of fast food restaurants,'' Pritzker said. "Low paid workers who receive few if any benefits usually cannot afford to miss work. Sick workers handling food sold to the public is a prescription for disaster.''

The report said the first food handler at the restaurant contracted Hepatitis A by mid-June. Her dates at work, June 28-July 29, match the dates of onset of 28 illnesses in the outbreak. The second worker was diagnosed as carrying the disease on July 15 -- which was the same day health officials "advised'' the restaurant to close for cleaning and retraining after an inspection found "multiple'' health violations, the report said.

Of the 5,366 customers who received prophylaxis to reduce additional cases, 153 were residents of a nursing home. 

People who eat contaminated food during a Hep A outbreak develop the illness from 15 to 50 days (average 28-30 days) later. Persons are infectious from approximately one week before the first onset of symptoms to approximately two weeks after the onset of the first symptom or until one week after jaundice.

The 34 cases resided in Rock Island (18), Mercer (seven), Henry (two), Woodford (two), Warren (one) and Iowa (four). 

If you or someone you love was a victim of this outbreak, contact a Hepatitis A lawyer at Pritzker Olsen Attorneys toll-free at 1-888-377-8900. We are a national food safety law firm representing victims of food poisoning -- one of the few in the country practicing extensively in the area of foodborne illness litigation. Call to receive a free case consultation, or complete our online contact and information form on the side of this web page.

Based on this report and our own investigation, the McDonald's hepatitis outbreak was preventable and never should have happened.

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Health officials in the Quad City Region of Illinois say the McDonald's Hepatitis A outbreak has grown to include 30 cases.  To contact Pritzker Olsen about a a McDonald's hepatitis A lawsuit, please call 1-888-377-8900 (toll free) or submit the free consultation form for review by Attorney Fred Pritzker.  We represent food poisoning victims throughout the United States.

All the illnesses are related to people who visited the McDonald's restaurant in Milan, Illinois, in early or mid-July, officials told Quad-City Times health reporter Dierdre Cox Baker. Sixteen cases are in Rock Island County, four are from out of state and the rest are in the Illinois counties of Mercer, Henry and Warren. Scott County, Iowa, also has at least one confirmed case of Hepatitis A from the McDonald's outbreak.

The outbreak reportedly got started from at least one employee of the McDonald's in Milan. She was diagnosed with the virus in June and went back to work. The Rock Island County Sheriff's Office investigated and reported this week that Trinity Regional Health System and Metropolitan Medical Laboratory failed to promptly report confirmed cases of Hepatitis A to public health officials early in the outbreak.

According to the Quad-City Times report, there was an additional delay in acting on the outbreak because a Rock Island County Health Department employee was on vacation.

National food safety law firm Pritzker Olsen has represented Hepatitis A patients who became ill from eating at restaurants where the virus was spread. Our firm is accepting cases from the McDonald's Hepatitis outbreak in western Illinois and we have a long, proven track record of winning compensation for victims of food poisoning. Hepatitis A is typically spread when an infected restaurant worker doesn't wash their hands thoroughly after using the toilet. The root problem is often related to lax management of sanitation policies and food safety protocols and restaurant owners can be held liable.

In the Milan McDonald's outbreak, the Rock Island County Health Department has innoculated 5,324 people against Hepatitis A. If you have been affected by this outbreak, a food safety lawyer at Pritzker Olsen can be contacted at 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free). To receive a free Hepatitis A compensation consultation, go to our online consultation form and enter your information for our review. If we agree to take your case, we don't get paid unless you do.

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Tuesday is the last day for free hepatitis A shots through the Rock Island County Health Department.

The county has administered more than 5,200 shots of vaccine or a drug called immune globulin since investigators associated an outbreak of hepatitis A in western Illinois to the McDonald's restaurant in Milan.

By the latest count, the Illinois McDonald's hepatitis A outbreak has sickened at least 26 people, including 11 who were hospitalized. Fifteen of the confirmed cases have been in Rock Island County -- the host of the hepatitis A vaccination clinic.

The shots on Tuesday are at the public health department headquarters at 2112 25th Ave., Rock Island. They are meant for individuals who ate at the Milan McDonald's on July 13 or 14. Those who were at the McDonald's restaurant before then may be beyond the time period for the vaccine to be effective.

Health Reporter Dierdre Cox Baker of the Quad-City Times wrote that a second dose of shots will provide additional protections, but those will not be provided free of charge. Follow-up clinics will be staged in six months or individuals may get the second round of shots from other health care providers.

If you or a loved one has been sickened in this outbreak, contact Pritzker Olsen Attorneys, a national food safety law firm that has years of experience representing victims of foodborne illness who became ill from eating at a restaurant.

Pritzker Olsen has collected millions for those who have survived outbreaks of hepatitis A, E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella, Listeria,  Campylobacter and other foodborne diseases. To reach a hepatitis lawyer at the firm, call 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or complete one of our forms online to receive a free case consultation.

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The McDonald's hepatitis outbreak in western Illinois could have been a product of shortcomings at a local medical center and the restaurant itself in Milan, Illinois.

The Illinois McDonald's outbreak of hepatitis A has sickened at least 24 people, including 11 who were hospitalized. Upwards of 5,000 others have been vaccinated against the disease at a cost to Rock Island County of $159,000 and growing.

On Friday, as national food safety law firm Pritzker Olsen Attorneys continued to hear from those affected by the outbreak and investigate claims, a bevy of news-breaking announcements were made. If you or a loved one are victims of the Illinois McDonald's hepatitis outbreak, contact a hepatitis A lawyer at Pritzer Olsen. The toll-free number is 1-888-377-8900, or write to us online using a free case consultation form. Our law firm has recovered tens of millions for victims of food poisoning and we represent victims in practically every major outbreak of foodborne illness.

Here's a brief breakdown of the latest developments that help to explain how two McDonald's employees continued to work in food-handling jobs despite being infected with hepatitis A -- a disease commonly transmitted by diseased restaurant employees who don't wash their hands properly after going to the toilet. The reporting comes from the Quad-City Times and QCOnline.com.

• Rock Island County Environmental Health Director Paul Guse released health department inspection records that showed non-cooperation by the Milan McDonald's after various 2008 inspections found food safety problems.
• The Milan McDonald's received a letter in February from  Rock Island County public health officials warning that an outbreak of foodborne illness could occur if compliance wasn't forthcoming. The letter said the restaurant was identified as being below desired compliance levels and posing an increased risk for foodborne illness.
• McDonald's owner Terry Murphy was warned in early 2009 that inspections may be increased to as often as four times a year based on the inspection results of 2008. Guse said the restaurant had shown progress since March.
• Murphy issued a statement saying he took immediate action when notified July 13 about outbreak concerns by the county health department . Murphy said the health department did not release the names of the two infected employees to him until the evening of July 15 -- when he closed the restaurant for three days of deep cleaning and employee screening for hepatitis A.
• Trinity Regional Health System -- the place where a Milan McDonald's employee was diagnosed with hepatitis A in mid-June -- said a human error resulted in a long delay in reporting the illness to public health officials in Rock Island County, as required.
• Kathy Cunningham, Trinity's vice president of operations, said an audit found three previous instances of the same problem -- under-reporting of infectious diseases to the county health department. Cunningham said the hepatitis outbreak has led to a comprehensive review of all practices regarding public reporting of certain diseases to health officials.

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An employee at the Milan, Illinois, McDonald's restaurant has gone public with her story that she told a manager at the restaurant in late June that she had been diagnosed with hepatitis A. But the restaurant remained open until last week, when it was ordered closed by the Rock Island County Health Department in connection with a possible McDonald's hepatitis A outbreak. In other words, the outbreak that sickened at least 20 people in western Illinois and sent thousands of others in for hepatitis vaccinations was utterly preventable. That's what national food safety lawyer Fred Pritzker, founder and president of PritzkerOlsen, P.A., writes in his opinion piece printed below. If you or a loved one has become sickened in this outbreak, contact Fred at 1-888-377-8900 (toll free) or complete one of our online forms to receive a free case consultation. 

By FRED PRITZKER

I represent survivors of foodborne illness, including clients sickened with hepatitis A at restaurants.

Hep A is an acute liver disease caused by the hepatitis A virus (HAV) that lasts from a few weeks to several months. Although it does not lead to chronic infection, it causes significant and debilitating symptoms and requires precautionary measures to prevent its spread to family members.

In a restaurant setting, hepatitis A is transmitted by consuming food or drinks contaminated with fecal matter.  This usually occurs when a restaurant worker sickened with hepatitis A goes back to work while still contagious and fails to properly wash his or her hands while preparing food served to paying customers like you.

In most cases, this is utterly preventable disease. Workers exhibiting symptoms of hep A should not work until cleared by a physician. Restaurant managers should not allow symptomatic employees on the premises.

Thus, it's particularly distressing to see reports of a hepatitis A outbreak involving a Milan, Illinois, McDonald's in which an estimated 10,000 patrons have been potentially exposed to the hepatitis A virus. Worse, according to WQAD television, an employee of the Milan McDonald's was diagnosed with hepatitis A in mid-June and told her manager at McDonald's on June 25 that she had hepatitis.

The Illinois McDonald's has claimed publicly that it didn't learn of the diagnosis until July 13, following which the restaurant was finally closed for cleaning and its employees screened for hepatitis.

I've recently written about proposed new food safety rules designed to reduce the incidence and severity of foodborne illness outbreaks -- including this one it would seem. Outbreaks generally are not due to bad policies and procedures, but rather gross failure to properly enforce them.

McDonald's is one of the best run food companies in the world. Its employee handbooks specifically instruct employees what to do:

• Call in if you are ill. Don't come to work when you are suffering from diarrhea or vomiting. You are at a higher risk for transferring bacteria to food or others.
• If you start to feel ill, tell your manager. Good heallth is important throughout your shift. You are at a higher risk for transferring bacteria to food or others.

But all the best policies and procedures won't make a restaurant safe if management personnel ignore the rules or fail to enforce them. Sadly, the only real incentive is public approbation and financial loss. Apparently, the health of its customers is not incentive enough. 

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More than a thousand people in northwestern Illinois  have been vaccinated to help contain the McDonald's hepatitis outbreak that health officials suspect was caused by two McDonald's employees who were sick with hepatitis A in Milan, Illinois, and continued to work.

The free vaccination clinic is located in makeshift quarters at Rock Island High School, staffed with Illinois state epidemiologists and about 150 volunteers. People under the age of 40 are receiving a vaccination while those older than 40 receive the drug immune globulin.

The Rock Island County Health Department has confirmed 20 cases in the NW Illinois hepatitis outbreak. Of those, 11 people were hospitalized. Officials have said 14 of the confirmed cases are in Rock Island County, with the remainder in outlying counties.

One of those sickened in the hepatitis A outbreak is a worker at a Milan daycare center known as Just Kids. The health department ordered the daycare closed and scrubbed down. It is located one mile away from the McDonald's.

The Milan McDonald's closed for parts of three days for a micro-cleaning. Kevin Murphy, the owner, said in a statement that he was first notified July 13  that hepatitis may be affecting his restaurant. He said he closed the store two days later.

The vaccination center is set up to handle up to 5,000 vaccinations. Any customers of the Milan McDonald's who ate there July 6-10 or July 13-14 are encouraged to get vaccinated.

The disease is primarily spread in fecal-oral transmission by infected restaurant employees who don't wash their hands after using the toilet.

National food safety law firm Pritzker Olsen Attorneys is urging those people who may have become exposed to the disease to get shots. Founder and president Fred Pritzker has called on McDonald's to immediately pay for the vaccinations and for short-term financial expenses and costs.

Restaurants are  liable to patrons for illnesses, including hepatitis, caused by food provided by the restaurant. This means the Milan McDonald's may be liable for compensation claims made by people who ate there and became sickened with hepatitis A. Conceivably, compensation could include:

• Medical expenses
• Lost income
• Pain and suffering
• Emotional distress
• Disability
• Loss of quality of life

If you or a loved one has been sickened with hepatitis A, please contact our law firm by dialing 1-888-377-8900 (toll free). We have considerable experience representing victims of hepatitis A. If you prefer writing to us, fill out one of our forms online and submit it to us for a free case consultation. 

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State and county health officials in western Illinois are preparing to provide hepatitis A vaccinations and an immune drug called globulin to portions of the population in connection with a possible McDonald's hepatitis A outbreak.

Jim Bohnsack, county board chairman in Rock Island County, told Quad Cities Times health reporter Dierdre Cox Baker that the county health department ordered the McDonald's in Milan, Illinois, to be closed in connection with the outbreak investigation. McDonald's employees were screened for the virus on Thursday, the same day the restaurant closed. It has remained closed "until further notice,'' according to signs on the building.

Bohnsack also said the county will seek to have the Milan McDonald's pay for hepatitis A vaccinations and globulin.

The Milan McDonald's restaurant, on U.S. 67, is being investigated in connection with an outbreak of hepatitis A that has infected at least 19 people, including 11 who required hospitalization, the QC Times reported. Most of the cases are in Rock Island County.

National food safety law firm Pritzker Olsen Attorneys is interested in helping any possible victims of the outbreak, including employees of the Illinois McDonald's where hepatitis A may have been spread. Pritzker Olsen is one of the few law firms in the country practicing extensively in the area of foodborne illness litigation. We represent hepatitis A victims around the country.

In restaurant outbreaks of hepatitis A, It is usually spread by a worker who didn't wash his or her hands after going to the toilet, but a deeper cause usually traces back to the lack of strict policy or a restaurant owner's failure to remove infected employees from the job until they are well. Restaurants are ultimately responsible for any harm caused by the food they serve.

A simple $50 shot could have prevented this hepatitis A outbreak that may be connected to McDonald's. Pritzker Olsen has long advocated that all restaurant workers be given the hepatitis A vaccine to keep these outbreaks from happening.

To contact a hepatitis A lawyer at Pritzker Olsen, call 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or contact us online. To receive a free case consultation, complete one of our online forms.

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People sometimes shrug at the physical harm caused by hepatitis A -- an infectious virus most often spread by infected restaurant workers who do not wash their hands after going to the bathroom.

In Rock Island County, Illinois, right now an Illinois hepatitis A outbreak  has sickened at least 19 people and health officials at the state and county level are urging strict hygiene by restaurant workers and others to help contain the outbreak.

In this hepatitis outbreak, a McDonald's restaurant in Milan closed early on Thursday and its employees were screened by the county health department to see if anyone is carrying hepatitis A to McDonald's customers in Milan. The cause of the outbreak is still under investigation.

It is true that most people who become infected with hepatitis A return to normal health without treatment. But more than one-fifth of adult hepatitis A patients require hospitalization. Although the illness is more common in youth, it is often more severe in adults.

In severe cases, hepatitis A can impair liver function and cause permanent damage to the liver. Most of these cases require hospitalization. Each year in the U.S., appropximately 100 people die as a result of hepatitis A infections.

As a leading national food safety lawyer, Fred Pritzker of Pritzker Olsen Attorneys  has seen more than his share of restaurant outbreaks of hepatitis A. And, invariably, the root cause is not so much the poor hygiene on the part of an infected employee who touches food and drinks. Rather, it is a failure on the part of the restaurant owner to have policies in place to keep ill employees from working and to strictly enforce hand-washing. (People can be infected with hepatitis A for a week or more without knowing it.) It is also crucial for restaurants to screen employees for this virus as soon as there is the least suspicion of an associated outbreak.

So remember, hepatitis A is nothing to take lightly to protect your family. If an outbreak is linked by investigation to a single restaurant, look first at the restaurant's policies and practices regarding food-safe hygiene, screening and keeping infected workers off the job. That's where the problems usually begin.

If you or a loved one have been sickened with hepatitis A in the Illinois outbreak, whether you are an employee or a customer, contact Pritzker Olsen at 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or write to us online for a free case consultation. The form is short and simple. If we agree to take your case, we don't get paid unless you do.

Pritzker Olsen is one of the few law firms in the country practicing extensively in the area of foodborne illness litigation. We have represented hepatitis A victims in restaurant cases and have collected millions of dollars for victims of food poisoning.

Remember that in hepatitis A cases, restaurants are responsible for any injury caused by the food they served. 

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A McDonald's restaurant in Milan, Illinois, closed early Thursday amid media reports that its employees have been screened for hepatitis A in connection with an Illinois hepatitis A outbreak.

A parent of one of the McDonald's employees told WQAD.com of the Quad Cities that her daughter and other employees of the McDonald's on U.S. 67 in Milan, Illinois, were screened for the disease at the Rock Island County Health Department.

WQAD and the Quad City Times newspaper both reported first-hand that the Milan McDonald's closed early on Thursday and that workers were seen through the windows scrubbing down furniture and equipment. Theresa Foes of the Rock Island County Health Department said the Illinois Hepatitis outbreak is under investigation and could be related to more than one food provider.

The hepatitis A outbreak near McDonald's restaurant in Milan has included 13 of 19 confirmed cases in Rock Island County. The other confirmed hepatitis A cases in the outbreak have been in Henry, Mercer, Warren and Woodford counties, officials have said.

Arnie Hanson patronized the Milan, Illinois, McDonald's restaurant Thursday. He told WQAD.com that his family was among the last to be served before the store was abruptly closed. Arnie Hanson  told WQAD.com that he was angry that he wasn't told by McDonald's about McDonald's hepatitis A screening of its employees.

"They put my daughter in jeopardy along with the public and other people,'' Mr. Hanson said.

Rock County and the state of Illinois Department of Public Health say there have been 19 confirmed Hepatitis A cases in the outbreak and a few more that are suspected. The Illinois state health director, Dr. Damon T. Arnold, had issued an advisory of a hepatitis A outbreak earlier in the week advising residents to be extra careful about hand-washing and personal hygiene.

Hepatitis A contamination is frequently caused by an infected restaurant worker who doesn't properly wash his or her hands after going to the bathroom. It is spread through feces. But an outbreak of hepatitis A can also be caused by contaminated products. For example, in a major hepatitis A outbreak involving Chi-Chi's Restaurant, the cause was green onions.

Pritzker Olsen Attorneys is a national food safety law firm that has handled many cases for people who have suffered hepatitis A infection from restaurant workers. As in the 2007 Pizza Ranch hepatitis A outbreak, restaurants are responsible for any injury caused by the food they served. Even if a specific food handler caused the harm, the restaurant as a whole is still responsible.

To contact a hepatitis A lawyer at Pritzker Olsen, call 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or write to us online for a free case consultation. The form is quick and easy. Our firm is thoroughly familiar with  hepatitis A lawsuit procedures required for a recovery. Over the years, we have collected tens of millions of dollars for victims of food poisoning. We are among only a few law firms in the country practicing extensively in the area of foodborne illness and our attorneys are often called by national, state and local media for comment on issues of food safety and food poisoning.

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School officials and health workers in Kennebunkport, Maine, continue to fight an outbreak of Hepatitis A  that began in September.

The most recent case was confirmed last week in a fourth student at Conoslidated School. The confirmation came just one day after  most of the student body and staff received vaccine delivered by the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

School Principal Katharine Pence has informed parents that a second round of vaccine will be administered at the school as a follow-up. In another attempt  to curb the virus -- which can lead to acute liver disease lasting from a few weeks to several months -- the school has temporarily shut down its cafeteria salad bar.

The newspaper website Seacoastonline.com reported Thursday that health officials believe its possible that more students could have contracted the virus, but aren't feeling sick yet. That's because the incubation period for Hepatitis A, the time it takes for symptoms to develop, can range up to 50 days.

For the next few weeks, students at the school who experience intestinal distress will be tested as a precaution, the website said.

The Maine CDC has said the outbreak probably started from an adult who recently returned from a country where Hepatitis A is prevalent. Of the 10 confirmed cases in the community, eight have been in the same family. The family has a link to the school, officials have said.

Hepatitis A is transmitted through ingestion of fecal matter and from close person-to-person contact or "ingestion of contaminated food or drinks,'' according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. Hepatitis A can lead to mild, flu-like symptoms, or, at its worst, can impair liver function and lead to death. 

 

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The Hepatitis A outbreak in Hawkins County, Tennessee has now affected at least eight people who live in the Mooresburg community, near Cherokee Lake. Health officials have still not identified a source of the outbreak, but are doing everything they can to determine what led to the many illnesses.  The Northeast Tennessee Regional Health Office has been handling the requests of concerned residents and has been giving Hepatitis A vaccines.  The Health Office administered more than 1500 vaccines over the course of three days, but officials say that most who received the vaccine were unaffected by the outbreak and just worried (Knoxville News Sentinel).

The health department says that only people who were in the Mooresburg community between May 15 and 29 would possibly be affected by the outbreak.  However, those are the only ties officials have found that connect the five adults and three children who have confirmed cases of Hepatitis A. Officials are investigating whether or not a spill of raw sewage into Cherokee Lake could be the cause.  After a power outing in April, 250,000 gallons of raw sewage was dumped into the lake. The investigators don’t think that there is a likely chance the spill is to blame, due to the great time lapse, but soil and water samples are being collected to make sure. Officials think that more cases will be reported in time, and they are doing all they can to find the source of the outbreak.

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Seven cases of Hepatitis A have been reported in Hawkins County Tennessee.  The Northeast Regional Health Office has not identified any common source, but is offering Hepatitis A vaccine to all residents of the area (WCYB). Hepatitis A is a liver disease usually characterized by mild, flu-like gastrointestinal symptoms.  At its worst, it can impair proper functioning of the liver and can lead to death.

This outbreak of Hepatitis A comes after 21 people were sickened by the same virus at a Chipotle restaurant in La Mesa, California.  One of the most common ways the virus is spread is through the food and the food handler.  No source has been identified in the Tennessee outbreak, and all workers at the La Mesa Chipotle tested negative for Hepatitis A.  In the La Mesa case, the negative results are not enough proof to rule out the food handler due to the long incubation period of the virus.

The virus is spread person to person by materials contaminated with an infected person’s feces. The illness is most easily spread in places with poor sanitary conditions or when workers do not observe good personal hygiene.  Workers can contaminate food during processing or in restaurants. In most cases, foods come into contact with water that has been contaminated with the feces of an infected individual, which then contaminates the food.  It is therefore essential that restaurants and food processors maintain strict sanitation rules and insist that employees maintain good hygiene so that the spread of the Hepatitis A virus can be curbed.

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Update to the entry below: There are now 21 confirmed cases of hepatitis A associated with the Chipotle restaurant in La Mesa, California.

The number of hepatitis A cases associated with Chipotle in La Mesa, California has risen to 18. Health officials are still looking for the source of the outbreak.  According to the San Diego County Health Department, all 26 food handlers identified to date by the restaurant have tested negative for active hepatitis A infection. Given the long incubation period for hepatitis A (10 to 50 days), this is not conclusive evidence that a food handler did not contaminate food eaten by those who have tested positive for hepatitis A. The negative test results do make it a little more likely that the source of the outbreak is a food product that was contaminated before it got to the La Mesa Chipotle restaurant.  The long incubation period for hepatitis A will make it extremely difficult to pinpoint a specific food product that is the source of the outbreak.

Even if the source of a hepatitis A outbreak is never found, other microbiological evidence along with epidemiological evidence can be sufficient to find a restaurant liable for money damages. In this outbreak the microbiological proof consists of the tests run to determine the people were sickened by hepatitis A.  But just knowing that the people have hepatitis A does not link the illnesses to Chipotle. Health officials made the connection between the illnesses and the La Mesa Chipotle with epidemiological evidence. 

Epidemiology is part detective work and part statistical analysis. It involves trying to piece together potential sources (stores, restaurants, and food products as well as water and animal exposures) and determine if they are the source of the illness that the microbiologists were able to identify.  Epidemiologists develop and test hypotheses to determine if there is a common link between the people with the same foodborne illness. They question foodborne illness patients in order to determine if they ate at the same place, ate the same food, got sick at the same time, lived in the same area, etc. They also visit suspected outbreak sources and do further testing. By a process of elimination, epidemiologists rule out other sources until they can settle on a common link.

In this case, epidemiologists discovered that the people with hepatitis A had eaten at the La Mesa Chipotle within a specific time period.

For more information about proving a foodborne illness case, please see our previous entry, “Proving Foodborne Illness: How Lawyers Evaluate Defective Food Product Cases.”

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Update to the entry below: There are now 21 confirmed cases of hepatitis A associated with the La Mesa Chipotle.

At least 6 people who ate at a La Mesa Chipotle restaurant have contracted hepatitis A.  Using epidemiological and microbiological evidence, we have successfully recovered significant amounts for victims of food poisoning associated with restaurants, even in cases where a food source was not pinpointed.  If you would like to know more about restaurant liability in a hepatitis A case, please contact a lawyer at our office at 1-888-377-8900 (toll-free), email our lawyers or submit our free case consultation form.

In most hepatitis A cases, food served to the sickened patrons was contaminated with the feces of a food handler who had hepatitis A.  In the case of a restaurant like Chipotle, the most likely scenario was that a sickened food handler contaminated food while cooking or serving the food.  In a recent hepatitis case involving a restaurant (not Chipotle), health officials determined that the food source of the outbreak was most likely raw lettuce that the sickened employee had chopped up.  Health officials may not find even a likely food source of this outbreak.

"Our Community Epidemiology Branch and DEH are working closely with the restaurant to determine the source of the hepatitis A infection,” said Wilma Wooten, M.D., M.P.H., County of San Diego Public Health Officer. "Hepatitis A is a vaccine-preventable illness, and we recommend that the public talk to their physicians about getting vaccinated against hepatitis A."

Continue Reading...

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There is the possibility of exposure to hepatitis A for customers of the Jamba Juice located at 1140 Lincoln Avenue, San Jose.  A food handler who worked at this Jamba Juice location has been diagnosed with a hepatitis A infection. The food handler worked while potentially infectious on several dates in August, including August 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 13, 14, 15, 16.

If the infected food handler did not follow good hand hygiene and food safety practices, patrons who ate at the San Jose Jamba Juice on the dates above could have been exposed to the hepatitis A virus.

If you have had a hepatitis A vaccine or have had the illness in the past, you are protected from hepatitis A infection. The Public Health Department is recommending that those persons who are not protected and are within 14 days of exposure, receive hepatitis A vaccine or immune globulin (IG).   The following is from the San Jose Public Health Department:

• If you were exposed to the virus in the last 14 days, you can benefit from the vaccine, which is very effective in preventing illness. The vaccine is recommended for children and adults from the ages of 12 months to 40 years of age who are not pregnant, immune compromised or have chronic liver disease.
• If you over 40 years of age, pregnant, immune compromised, have chronic liver disease, or are an infant under 12 months of age, and ate or drank at this particular Jamba Juice location in the last 14 days, immune globulin (IG) is available for prevention of infection.
• If you ate or drank at the location after August 1st but more than 14 days ago, you should watch for symptoms of hepatitis A. If you experience symptoms, please contact your medical provider. The vaccine or IG treatment will not prevent illness in people exposed prior to 14 days ago.

The Public Health Department has been working in cooperation with Jamba Juice to address the situation.  A San Jose Public Health Department Press Release states the following:

Jamba Juice has informed the Public Health Department that they will pay eligible individuals who satisfy reimbursement requirements. Reimbursement will be for reasonable, out-of-pocket medical expenses related to the diagnosis and treatment of hepatitis A.  

The statement does not mention payments for pain and suffering or emotional distress related to the diagnoses and treatment of hepatitis A.  If you are diagnosed with hepatitis A, a lawyer can protect your rights and pursue just compensation for all of your damages.

Our firm is currently representing victims of a hepatitis A outbreak linked to a restaurant and has litigated numerous foodborne illness cases.   To contact the firm, please call toll-free at 1-888-377-8900 or submit the firm's online contact form.

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Last week, food workers at the Pizza Ranch in Slayton, Minnesota, tested positive for hepatitis A. As a result, over 2,300 people who ate at the restaurant had immune globulin shots in hopes of preventing hepatitis A infections. At least one patron of the restaurant has tested positive for hepatitis A.

Minnesota food poisoning attorney Fred Pritzker is providing an FAQ page on the Pritzker law web site for patrons of the Pizza Ranch in Slayton. The FAQ answers questions about hepatitis A lawsuits, including questions that patrons of the restaurant may have about evidence, liability and damages. 

“Foodborne illness litigation, which includes hepatitis A lawsuits, is a specialty area of the law,” says Pritzker. “By providing this FAQ, I hope to inform patrons of the Pizza Ranch restaurant about their legal options as they consider the injuries they have suffered by being exposed to hepatitis A.”

The following are two questions and answers from Pritzker’s FAQ page on his website (read the entire hepatitis a / Pizza Ranch lawsuit FAQ):

Question: How is hepatitis A spread by a restaurant employee?

If a food handler at a restaurant who has hepatitis A does not wash his or her hands well after going to the bathroom, any feces left on the hands can get into patrons’ food. Because the hepatitis A virus colonizes in human feces, anyone eating the infected food handler’s feces will consume hepatitis A and thereby be infected. 

Question: Do I need to have leftovers from the Pizza Ranch to be compensated for my injuries?

No, you do not need to have leftovers to be compensated for your injuries.  If you have record of eating at the restaurant and you test positive for hepatitis A (or do not test positive but needed an immune globulin shot), you may have a claim against the Pizza Ranch.

Fred Pritzker is one of the few lawyers in the United States that practices extensively in the area of foodborne illness litigation. Fred Pritzker has offices in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Fred Pritzker is currently representing victims of a hepatitis A outbreak linked to an Arizona restaurant. To contact Minnesota personal injury lawyer Fred Pritzker or another food poisoning lawyer at Pritzker law, please call toll-free at 1-888-377-8900 or e-mail Fred Pritzker.  Read more about the Minnesota personal injury lawyers at Pritzker law.

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Pizza Ranch Lawsuit Information: If you ate at the Pizza Ranch in Slayton, Minnesota, between  April  20 and May 1, contact Pritzker law regarding a Pizza Ranch lawsuit.  We are a Minnesota personal injury firm with a concentration in the area of food poisoning litigation.  Fred Pritzker has a national reputation in the area and has been interviewed by the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and other publications.  Please call toll-free at 1-888-377-8900 or e-mail Fred Pritzker.

Update to information below: As of May 7, 2007:  Two cases of hepatitis A have been confirmed in employees of the Pizza Ranch restaurant in Slayton, Minnesota. One patron of the restaurant has also tested positive.  The Minnesota Department of Health  continues to  investigate the situation. 

Minnesota health officials are investigating three cases of hepatitis A in employees at the Pizza Ranch in Slayton, Minnesota.  The Minnesota Department of Health and local pubic health officials are testing other Pizza Ranch employees for hepatitis A, several of whom had some symptoms. 

“We are concerned that some patrons of the restaurant may have been exposed to the virus through contaminated food,” said Dr. Ruth Lynfield, state epidemiologist for the MDH. “MDH is working with the local public health department to prevent additional cases.”

According to a Minnesota Department of Health news release, Lyon Lincoln Murray Pipestone County Public Health Services is planning a clinic to provide immune globulin to people who ate at the Pizza Ranch, or at events catered by the restaurant, between April 20 and May 1. IG can be given within 14 days of exposure to the hepatitis A virus to provide protection against developing infection.

The restaurant serves between 800-1,000 meals per week, and therefore, a large number of people could have been exposed, the release said.

Hepatitis A is an infection of the liver caused by hepatitis A virus, but does not result in chronic infection. Adults generally experience some acute symptoms, particularly headache, fever, tiredness, loss of appetite and nausea. Learn more about hepatitis A symptoms.  Young children generally do not have symptoms.  Learn more about hepatitis A symptoms.

Hepatitis A can lead to a very severe liver disease. Past outbreaks of hepatitis A have lead to several fatalities.  Read about Minnesota wrongful death.  Minnesota personal injury lawyer Fred Pritzker is nationally recognized in the area of food poisoning lawsuits.  He is currently representing several people sickened by hepatitis A at an Arizona restaurant.  He also was recently lead counsel for a food poisoning case that involved ready-to-eat turkey.  His leadership in that case resulted in significant compensation for the families involved. 

To contact Attorney Fred Pritzker, please call toll-free at 1-888-377-8900 or e-mail Fred Pritzker.  The firm's offices are located in Minneapolis, Minnesota.  See the firm website to learn more about the Minnesota personal injury lawyers at Pritzker law.

More information on hepatitis A can be found on the Minnesota Department of Health website at http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/idepc/diseases/hepa/index.html

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The Texas Department of State Health Services issued a statement Friday that an employee at the Whataburger in both Harlingen and Raymondville, Texas has been diagnosed with hepatitis A and may have exposed others to the virus. 

The employee worked at the Harlingen Whataburger between March 1 and 12, and at the Raymondville location between March 13 and March 31.  Anyone who ate at those restaurants on those dates could possibly have been exposed to the virus.  

If you ate at the restaurant, you should watch for symptoms of hepatitis A, including jaundice, fatigue, abdominal pain, loss of appetite, nausea, diarrhea, and fever.  The first hepatitis A symptoms can appear from 15 to 50 days after the initial infection. The average length of time between infection and the first appearance of symptoms (this is called the incubation period) is about a month.

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A food handler at Marble Slab Creamery in Katy, Texas, has tested positive for hepatitis A, a viral foodborne pathogen that can cause serious injury and death in the elderly and people with compromised immune systems.  According to a story on KHOU, Channel 11 news, “People who may have eaten at the Marble Slab between Feb. 1 and Feb. 25 should watch for any symptoms of the disease.”

Symptoms of hepatitis A usually occur abruptly and may include: fever, tiredness, loss of appetite, nausea, abdominal cramps, diarrhea, light-colored stools, and dark urine. Another possible symptom, the yellowing of the skin and eyes, is called jaundice.  

The first hepatitis A symptoms can appear from 15 to 50 days after the initial infection. The average length of time between infection and the first appearance of symptoms (this is called the incubation period) is about a month. Unfortunately, infected individuals are most contagious in the middle of the incubation period, weeks before any sign of symptoms. Hepatitis A sufferers are usually contagious for about a week after they become jaundiced.

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Wolfgang Puck Caterer Positive for Hepatitis A

A food handler working for Wolfgang Puck Catering at a recent Sports Illustrated party has tested positive for hepatitis A, exposing hundreds of partygoers to the potentially life-threatening foodborne pathogen. In addition, people who ate at other venues where Wolfgang Puck Catering provided the food may also be at risk if food was handled by the infected worker.  

According to a Reuters story:

The Los Angeles County health department recommended on Tuesday that anyone who ate uncooked food at the U.S. sports magazine's party on February 14 get treatment by Wednesday to avoid developing the serious liver disease.

Health officials said the risk was "quite low" and that no Wolfgang Puck pre-packaged foods or restaurants were affected.

Hepatitis A is caused by a virus spread by ingesting something contaminated with the feces of an infected person. Symptoms can include fever, fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea, abdominal pain and jaundice.

Carl Shuster, president of Wolfgang Puck Catering, said the company was working closely with health officials to contact anyone who ate food prepared in its Hollywood kitchen between February 1 and 20.

Fred Pritzker, a leading food poisoning lawyer, represents people wrongfully infected with hepatitis a.  He has recovered millions for victims of food poisoning. 

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People who dined at Houlihan's in Geneva, Illinois, before January 19, 2007, may have been exposed to hepatitis A by an infected food handler at the restaurant.  Health officials are particularly concerned about people who consumed beverages containing ice.  Health officials have set up a free clinic to administer immunoglobulin shots, which can be effective within 14 days of exposure to hepatitis A.   

The incubation period for hepatitis A is between 4 and 20 weeks.  People who ate at Houlihan's, will have to watch for symptoms of hepatitis A for almost 5 months.  Those at highest risk for serious illness resulting from a hepatitis A infection are the elderly and those with compromised immune systems.  Anyone diagnosed with hepatitis A who ate at Houlihan's should immediately consult a lawyer with hepatitis A lawsuit experience.

Pritzker | Ruohonen, a leading food poisoning litigation law firm, has recovered millions for victims of food poisoning.  To contact a lawyer at the firm, please call toll-free at 1-888-377-8900 or submit the firm’s online consultation form.  Please see the firm's website for more hepatitis A information.

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Patrons of San Diego Bay and El Yaqui restaurants may have been exposed to hepatitis A by an infected food handler at the restaurants.  Both restaurants are in Guadalupe, Arizona.  Health officials were alerted to the problem when the infected food handler was diagnosed with hepatitis A after being admitted to the hospital.

The incubation period for hepatitis A is between 4 and 20 weeks.  People who ate at the San Diego Bay and El Yaqui restautants between December 26 and 30, will have to watch for symptoms of hepatitis A for almost 5 months.  Those at highest risk for serious illness resulting from a hepatitis A infection are the elderly and those with compromised immune systems.  Anyone diagnosed with hepatitis A who ate at San Diego Bay or El Yaqui should immediately consult a lawyer with hepatitis A lawsuit experience.

Pritzker | Ruohonen, a leading food poisoning litigation law firm, is currently representing victims of an Arizona hepatitis A outbreak linked the Bamboo Grill in Phoenix.  To contact a lawyer at the firm, please call toll-free at 1-888-377-8900 or submit the firm’s online-consultation form.  Please see the firm's website for more hepatitis A information.

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An employee at a Hereford, Texas, Sonic Drive-In has tested positive for hepatitis A, a foodborne pathogen that can cause serious illness. Health officials in Hereford, Texas, have administered more than 2,600 shots to prevent hepatitis A.

According to a story in the Clovis News Journal, the Texas Department of State Health Services began administering free shots Monday afternoon to anyone who patronized the Hereford Sonic Drive-In at 305 North 25 Mile Ave. between Oct. 1 and Oct. 13.

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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.

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Tags: Hepatitis A, Outbreaks

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Research has indicated that the hepatitis A vaccine is highly effective. Most people will develop protective levels of antibody within one month after a single dose of vaccine. And after two doses, the protection may be 20 years or more.

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The hepatitis A vaccine is comprised of two doses given at least 6 months apart. Most people will develop protective levels of antibody within one month after a single dose of vaccine. Because hepatitis A is a dangerous pathogen that is easily transmitted, the CDC recommends that children be routinely vaccinated. The CDC recommends that children get the first dose at 12-23 months of age.

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Diners who ate at Trevi Restaurant in Biltmore Village (Asheville), North Carolina, from August 17 to August 25 may be at risk for hepatitis A. According to North Carolina health officials, a worker at Trevi Restaurant tested positive for hepatitis A. Health officials plan to give up to 1,300 preventive shots to head off any chance of an outbreak.

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According to a story in The Journal Gazette (Fort Wayne, Indiana), more than 2,600 people crowded the Allen County Fairgrounds this weekend to receive treatment for hepatitis A after a Pizza Hut employee was diagnosed with the disease Thursday, five days after last going to work. The Pizza Hut employee worked at the Fort Wayne, Indiana, Pizza Hut at 5735 Coventry Lane, near the Interstate 69 and U.S. 24 interchange.

The treatment administered was an antibody shot called immune globulin, or "Ig," which greatly reduces the risks of getting the disease if given within 14 days of exposure. In this case, the people who could benefit from the treatment were those who ate at the Fort Wanyne, Indiana, Pizza Hut between August 12 and August 19. Customers of the Indiana Pizza Hut who ate at the restaurant before August 12 should watch for symptoms of hepatitis A.

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Dare County, North Carolina health officials are warning people about a hepatitis A risk. According to a story from WBTV Channel 3 in Charlotte, North Carolina, a food handler at the Players Grille at Nags Head Golf Links has been diagnosed with hepatitis A, a viral infection that is spread from person to person by putting something in the mouth that has been contaminated with the stool of a person with hepatitis A. People who ate at the Players Grille at Nags Head Golf Links between July 1st and 18th are at risk.

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Health officials are investigating a hepatitis A outbreak linked to Sharky's Restaurant in Rockaway Beach, Oregon. People who ate at Sharky's Restaurant between April 15 and April 30 may be starting to get sick and should watch for hepatitis A symptoms, including fever, nausea, diarrhea, light-colored stools, dark-colored urine, fatigue, loss of appetite, abdominal cramps, and jaundice (the yellowing of the skin and eyes).

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Green onions were the source of the largest documented foodborne hepatitis A outbreak in U.S. history and also the source of several other hepatitis A outbreaks. A study published in the Journal of Food Protection found that the hepatitis A virus can contaminate the inside of a green onion (1). This poses a serious problem because once hepatitis A has contaminated the inside of a green onion, the hepatitis A can not be washed off. The only way to kill the virus would be by cooking the green onion.

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(Update on New Jersey hepatitis A outbreak) - Two 11-year-old boys have been confirmed to have hepatitis A. One of the boys attends Orange Avenue School, the same school attended by the other 3 children with confirmed hepatitis A.

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The hepatitis A outbreak in Fayette, Kentucky, continues to spread, although at a slower rate. According to health department officials, a third-grader at Tates Creek Elementary School has been diagnosed with hepatitis A. The third-grader is a sibling to a preschool student at Yates Elementary school who was diagnosed with the virus in March.

Family members of a person infected with hepatitis A are at higher risk to contract the disease. Health officials administered free hepatitis A immunizations to children and school staff members in the affected classes and the school has been cleaned and sanitized. Because hepatitis A has an incubation period of between 15 and 50 days, it will not be known whether the infected third-grader transmitted the virus to anyone else at Tates Creek Elementary.

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14 cases of hepatitis A in Lexington, Kentucky, have been confirmed. 4 of the people confirmed to have hepatitis A are students at Mary Todd Elementary. One student of Yates Elementary School's Early Start morning class also has hepatitis A. Because hepatitis A has a long incubation period--from 15 to 50 days--it will take time to see how widespread this outbreak is.

Schools have been link to several foodborne outbreaks in the past by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Often it is a food item that is not adequately cooked or contaminated. In this hepatitis A outbreak, which started in the school with a student (not a food handler), the likelihood is that the Hepatitis A was spread due to inadequate hand washing that left feces on the infected students hands. Any other person coming in contact with the infected person's feces could be infected.

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Hepatitis A is caused by the hepatitis A virus. Hepatitis is transmitted either by contact with the feces of an infected person or consumption of food that has been contaminated by the feces of an infected person. The incubation period is between 15 and 50 days, making it difficult for health officials to pin point the source of a hepatitis A infection. The result is that there are very few CDC-confirmed hepatitis A outbreaks in the United States each year.

Once someone gets hepatitis A, a permanent immunity to the virus is developed. It is estimated that about one third of the U.S. population has been infected with hepatitis A virus. Hepatitis A initially manifests itself as a fever, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, muscle pain and malaise. Later symptoms can include jaundice, dark-colored urine, light colored stools and enlargement of the liver and/or spleen. Generally, hepatitis A lasts a few weeks. For about 10% of those infected, the symptoms are recurring for up to 6 months. In a small percentage of cases of hepatitis A, liver failure can occur, which can lead to severe illness of death. Approximately 25,000 cases of hepatitis A are reported to the CDC each year. However, with adjustments made for underreporting and asymptomatic hepatitis A (usually with children less than 5 years of age) the number of hepatitis A cases is estimated to be over 260,000 per year

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