Hepatitis A Risk: Biltmore Village (Asheville), North Carolina
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.
Hepatitis A is caused by hepatitis A virus (HAV), which is transmitted by the fecal-oral route. In a situation where a food handler with hepatitis A is identified, health officials work on the assumption that some of the food handler's feces may have gotten into food served to customers, posing a risk of transmission of the virus. In these situations, the antibody shot is administered to customers who ate potentially-contaminated food within 14 days.
The 14-day period is important because the treatment administered after hepatitis A exposure is an antibody shot called immune globulin, or "Ig," which greatly reduces the risks of getting the disease if given within 14 days of exposure.
Symptoms of hepatitis A usually occur abruptly and may include fever, tiredness, loss of appetite, nausea, abdominal discomfort, dark urine, and jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes). Symptoms usually last less than 2 months; a few persons are ill for as long as 6 months. The average incubation period for hepatitis A is 28 days (range: 15-50 days).
Hepatitis A can cause serious injury, including inflammation of the liver, which can be fatal. 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. Hepatitis A can be prevented if good sanitation practices are followed.
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 or e-mail fhp@pritzkerlaw.com.
Source: Andre A. Rodriguez, Hepatitis A back in Asheville, Asheville Citizen Times (North Carolina), August 29, 2006.
