Hepatitis Risk: Players Grille in North Carolina
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.
The Dare County Department of Public Health is urging people who ate at the Players Grille at Nags Head Golf Links between July 14th and 18th to get an injection of immune globulin, a shot that can prevent a hepatitis A infection if taken within two weeks of exposure. The WBTV story provides the following information about immune globulin injections for the prevention of hepatitis A:
The Dare County Department of Public Health has set up special clinics for people who were exposed. Those people can get a free shot to prevent the infection by going to the health department office in Manteo.The immunizations will be offered Friday July 28th from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m.; Saturday July 29th from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Sunday July 30th from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m.; Monday July 31st from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Tuesday August 1st from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The immunizations would not be effective for people who ate at the Players Grille at Nags Head Golf Links between July 1st and 13th. Those people should watch for symptoms of hepatitis A. 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: Hepatitis A case in Dare County, WBTV Channel 3 in Charlotte, North Carolina, July 27, 2006.
