Hepatitis A Lawyer & Attorney : Marler Clark : Hepatitis A Blog

By HILLARY CHABOT, Sun Staff

LOWELL -- A record number of hepatitis A cases has prompted city health officials to hold immunization clinics at area homeless shelters and health clinics to stop the spread of the disease.

Lowell has had 35 cases of hepatitis A since July, which is more than 17 times the normal amount, Health Director Frank Singleton said.

The disease, which is not fatal, causes the liver to swell and can cause flu-like symptoms and fatigue for more than a month.

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Food-borne illness concerns officials
By Kelly Soderlund
The Journal Gazette
Dec. 25, 2005

Kim Sands looks back fondly on the days when her mom would bake goodies for her to bring to Maplewood Elementary School on her birthday or for holiday parties.

But that was at least 35 years ago. Instead of following in her mother's footsteps, Sands, who is the legislative chairwoman for the Fort Wayne Community Schools PTA and a teacher at Miami Middle School, must buy cookies at the store if her daughters want to bring food to school.

"I really enjoyed that, but times have changed so much nowadays," Sands said.
Fort Wayne Community Schools, along with a number of school districts in northeast Indiana, have policies that prevent students from bringing in homemade treats for the class. Goodies must be prepackaged from an establishment licensed by the board of health.

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Wednesday, December 21, 2005

The Chi-Chi`s Restaurant chain has been ordered pay money to thousands of customers exposed to Hepatitis two years ago. Nearly 5,000 people who ate at a restaurant near Pittsburgh had to get Hepatitis shots after an outbreak linked to Mexican grown green onions. More than 600 people got sick and four eventually died. A federal judge ordered the bankrupt chain to pay $162 to each person who received a shot.

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Dec 21, 2005
KVOA.com

Officials urge a wake-up call for restaurant employees and patrons about the importance of washing your hands.

Two cases of hepatitis A have been discovered in Santa Cruz County.

A case was first discovered in Nogales. Tubac is now on the radar.

This time it was at a restaurant and, while health officials don't think the cases are linked, they're urging you to be aware and be prepared.

An employee at Tubac Deli and Coffee Company contracted the virus in October.

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By Jason Cato
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Wednesday, December 21, 2005

Checks should start arriving in a few weeks for nearly 5,000 people who claimed part of an $800,000 lawsuit settlement against Chi-Chi's following a hepatitis A outbreak two years ago at a restaurant in Beaver County.

Though nearly 10,000 people got shots to help stave off the illness following the fall 2003 incident involving tainted green onions at the Chi-Chi's in the Beaver Valley Mall, only 4,931 returned the necessary forms by the Oct. 24 deadline, said Bill Marler, the Seattle lawyer who handled the class action lawsuit. Each of those people will receive a check for $162.23.

Marler, who specializes in food-poison cases, said he thinks the settlement is fair -- especially since it involved people who simply got shots and did not necessarily contract the disease.

"It's in line with similar settlements we've made in the past," he said.

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By JOE MANDAK
The Associated Press

PITTSBURGH - Nearly 5,000 people who had to get shots to ward off hepatitis A during a food-poisoning outbreak at a western Pennsylvania Chi-Chi's restaurant two years ago will be mailed checks for $162.23 each next month.

A federal judge in Delaware overseeing Chi-Chi's bankruptcy signed off on the class-action settlement last week.

Chi-Chi's paid $800,000 to those who had to get shots. Nearly 9,500 people got the shots, but only 4,931 filed claims by the court-imposed deadline of Oct. 24. The money was equally divided among those who filed claims, said Bill Marler, the Seattle attorney who sued on their behalf.

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Cafe Pinot tells patrons who dined during a 10-day span that they may have been exposed to hepatitis A and urges them to get injections.
By Rong-Gong Lin II and Amanda Covarrubias, Times Staff Writers
Los Angeles Times
December 15, 2005

More than 450 diners and employees at swanky Cafe Pinot have received shots to combat hepatitis A after workers at the downtown Los Angeles eatery contracted the disease.

A customer and five employees have been diagnosed with hepatitis A, county health officials said Wednesday, as they continued to track a puzzling outbreak of the virus over the last few months.

There have been 214 confirmed cases in Los Angeles County since August, compared with 52 cases between January and July.

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People who ate at Cafe Pinot between Nov. 25 and Dec. 4 are urged to get medical treatment.
By Amanda Covarrubias and Rong-Gong Lin II
Times Staff Writers
December 10, 2005

Los Angeles County health officials said Friday that they are investigating a new suspected hepatitis A outbreak at Cafe Pinot, one of downtown Los Angeles' top restaurants.

Four employees of the restaurant at the Central Library have fallen ill in the last few weeks, prompting the county Department of Health Services to urge restaurant patrons who dined there between Nov. 25 and Dec. 4 to contact their doctors for injections of antibodies to prevent infection.

Los Angeles County has seen a spike in hepatitis A cases since August.

Officials have linked some of the cases to contaminated lettuce. Last week, the county urged residents to thoroughly clean even pre-washed lettuce.

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Fri, Dec. 09, 2005
Associated Press

LOS ANGELES - Employees of a popular downtown restaurant were urged to get immune globulin shots after an employee was diagnosed with hepatitis A and three others began showing symptoms, the county Health Department announced Friday.

People who ate at Cafe Pinot from Nov. 25 through Dec. 4 should see a doctor and get the injections, officials said.

The shot should be given with 14 days of exposure to be effective.

Cafe Pinot employees received the shots and the restaurant was allowed to remain open.

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By ALICE WALTON
City News Service
12/9/2005

LOS ANGELES (CNS) - Patrons of an upscale downtown eatery were urged
today to get globulin shots after at least one of the restaurant's employees was
diagnosed with hepatitis A, county health officials said.

One employee at Cafe Pinot, located next to the Central Library, has
hepatitis A, and three other employees have symptoms that are consistent
with the disease, health officials said.

Representatives from Cafe Pinot had no immediate comment.

Health officials said they have not found a reason to close the
restaurant, but that anyone who may have eaten at Cafe Pinot since Thanksgiving should immediately contact their physician to receive immune globulin to prevent possible disease, health officials said.

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December 8, 2005
KFOX, El Paso

El Paso's Health Department attributes the growing potential of hepatitis A to our global economy.

Hepatitis A, like ecoli, and other food-borne illnesses are easily transmitted and difficult to trace. Health experts say that could be attributed to our global economy, and one source is the fruits and vegetables we find in grocery stores.

During the winter, some fresh goods may be brought in from around the world where farming standards are not as strict as those in the United States.

"They may irrigate with what's called black water, which is simply sewage water," said David Dublias, with the El Paso Health Department.

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By Amanda McGregor
Staff writer

BEVERLY -- A boiler broke at Briscoe Middle School this week, forcing students to bundle up in sweaters and winter jackets just to keep warm.

School administrators sent a letter home to parents Monday urging them to send their children to school with sweaters and other warm clothing until repairs are completed. With only one of the school's two boilers functioning, some classrooms are "quite cool," the letter said.

In the meantime, the other boiler is working overtime to heat the whole school at lower temperatures than normal, Superintendent James Hayes said.

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By SARA IN...S CALDER"N
The Brownsville Herald

December 5, 2005 -- The incidence of food-borne illnesses in the Rio Grande Valley far exceeds statewide figures.

While some say this is because of proximity to Mexico, incidence rates in the border counties of El Paso and Laredo say otherwise.

For five consecutive years, Texas Department of State Health Services data shows the Valley has had much higher rates of food-borne illness, such as hepatitis A and salmonella.

Figures provided by the state health department are only based on confirmed cases reported by local doctors. There may be cases that are not reported, so actual rates may be even higher than reported rates. Official's say reporting across the Valley is reliably standard.

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December 2, 2005

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Health officials suspect unwashed lettuce is responsible for a Los Angeles County surge in hepatitis A cases.

At least 60 people have fallen ill from the virus in the past three months. Officials haven't been unable to link the outbreak to a particular farm or type of lettuce.

There was an outbreak in a downtown Los Angeles restaurant in September that affected 13 and another at an event catered by a Hollywood company in October where 19 fell ill. The other cases were scattered.

"We believe lettuce was the problem in these events," said county health director Dr. Jonathan Fielding. "This is a problem that deserves real attention, and people eating in a restaurant should ask if the produce is being cleaned carefully."

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December 2, 2005

(CBS) LOS ANGELES A reminder to wash produce thoroughly was issued Thursday by Los Angeles County health officials because of an increase in the number of hepatitis A cases reported this year.

In September, 13, diners at a restaurant were infected with hepatitis A. A month later, 19 people were infected after eating contaminated lettuce at a catered event, officials said.

In October, there were 32 reported cases in Los Angeles, compared to five cases of hepatitis A in October 2004.

Unwashed produce can transmit hepatitis A, e. coli and salmonella. Officials say even produce that comes pre-packaged and labeled as having been washed should be rinsed in cold, running water.

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December 2, 2005
L.A. County officials have been unable to track down source of the contaminated vegetable.
By Rong-Gong Lin II, Times Staff Writer

Health officials on Thursday identified lettuce as the likely source for a hepatitis A outbreak in Los Angeles County and urged residents to thoroughly wash the vegetable before eating it.

At least 60 people have fallen ill from the virus in Los Angeles County over the last three months. Officials are concerned because the outbreak comes after years of declining hepatitis A cases, but they have been unable to link the outbreak to a particular farm or type of lettuce.

There were at least two outbreaks: one in a downtown Los Angeles restaurant in September that affected 13; the other at an event catered by a Hollywood company in October where 19 fell ill. The other cases were scattered.

Officials would not identify the specific locations of the outbreaks, saying there is no ongoing risk at those sites.

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December 1, 2005

LOS ANGELES - County health officials issued a warning Thursday in the wake of two hepatitis A outbreaks. Video

Health officials said all produce should be washed thoroughly before consumption. The cases are connected to lettuce.

The warning comes after increases in hepatitis A cases in September and October.

Nineteen people were infected at a catered event. Thirteen people contracted the illness at a restaurant.

The county said 32 other cases reported in October were not part of the outbreak. Five cases were reported in October 2004.

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