Food Handler Tests Positive For Hepatitis A At Nags Head Restaurant
The Dare County Department of Public Health has issued a warning for people who ate at the Player's Grille at Nags Head Golf Links July 14 and 18, 2006, following the diagnosis of Hepatitis A in a food handler at the restaurant.
If you ate at the Player's Grille during the time when the infected person was working, you may have been exposed to Hepatitis A, said Anne Thomas, Dare County Health Director.
There is a shot to prevent the infection if taken within two weeks of exposure, so people who were exposed need to get the injection of immune globulin. The Dare County Department of Public Health has set up special clinics for people who were exposed. Those persons may get a free shot that will prevent infection by going to the Health Department in Manteo.
The immunization will be offered on Friday, July 28 from 12:00pm to 7:00pm; Saturday, July 29 from 10:00am to 2:00pm; Sunday, July 30 from 12:00pm to 2:00pm; Monday, July 31 from 8:30am to 5:00pm; and Tuesday, August 1 from 8:30am to 5:00pm.
People who ate at the Player's Grille at Nags Head Golf Links on July 14 and 18 are also asked to contact their health care provider if they develop Hepatitis A symptoms. In addition, persons who ate or drank at the Player's Grille between July 1 and July 13th may also have been exposed but have exceeded the two week period where the immunization would be effective and should be aware of signs and symptoms and contact their physician if they occur.
Hepatitis A is a liver disease, but is less serious than other kinds of Hepatitis. It can cause jaundice, fatigue, abdominal pain, nausea, diarrhea and fever. Most people fully recover from the disease with no long-term consequences. Symptoms usually last less than two months, although a few people may be ill as long as six months. The disease is detected through a blood test.
The disease can be prevented with an injection of immune globulin within two weeks of exposure. Immune globulin is a preparation of antibodies. It is safe and can even be administered during pregnancy and breast-feeding.
The virus is found in the stool of infected people and is usually spread by putting something in the mouth that has been contaminated with the virus. That is why it is so important that people always wash their hands with soap and water after using the bathroom, changing a diaper and before preparing or eating food, said Thomas.
In addition to being spread by contact with contaminated food, household contacts and sexual partners of infected people are at risk of infection, as are people who travel to countries where the risk of infection is high.
For more information, contact Erin Beatty, Communicable Disease Coordinator for the Dare County Department of Public Health at 475-5003.
