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

Hugh Grant and Drew Barrymore might think twice before indulging in the nibbles at future parties, after being informed that they may have been exposed to Hepatitis A at a recent bash for their new film, Music And Lyrics.  The Music And Lyrics party was one of 14 events catered for by the Wolfgang Puck catering company using a cook who was discovered to have Hepatitis A, according to TMZ.com, which obtained a letter sent out to guests warning them of the risk of exposure to the virus.  Other high profile guests at the February 7 bash included Sandra Bullock, Adam Brody, Jimmy Fallon and TR Knight.

The sponsors of the party told TMZ.com that the Department of Public Health didn't alert them to the problem until February 28, seven days after the two week window in which those who risked infection could have been vaccinated against developing the virus.  The party's sponsors say that, as far as they know, no-one is known to have contracted Hepatitis A from the event.  The letter urges guests to recall whether they ate any uncooked food served at the event, going on to describe "how very low the risk of infection is".

The LA County Department of Public Health went public with only one other event catered for by the Hep A-carrying cook between February 3 and February 20 - a Sports Illustrated attended by stars included Beyonce - but did tell TMZ.com that several of the events in question were "hosted by extremely high profile people" who have been notified privately about the scare.

I can see it now - 'BILL MARLER, LAWYER TO THE STARS"

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A Vacaville restaurant is being investigated by the Solano County Health Department after reports of Hepatitis A outbreak.  Five customers became sick after eating at BJ's Brewhouse in mid-January of this year.  Their symptoms included fever, vomiting, and diarrhea. No workers at the restaurant tested positive for the disease.  Health officials say the incubation period has passed.  Dr. Ronald Chapman, Solano County Health Director, encourages everyone to wash their hands and be careful with all types of food preparation

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A manager at a Katy ice cream shop has tested positive for hepatitis A, marking the second time this year an employee at a Houston-area food service business has been infected with the disease.

Marble Slab Creamery was locked Friday and a bright orange sign on the door warned that customers who have eaten products from the 23270 Westheimer Parkway store between Feb. 1 and Feb. 25 may have been exposed.

•Report suspected cases to the Fort Bend County health office at 281-342-6414 or by fax at 281-342-7371.

• Symptoms: Extreme fatigue, fever, nausea, vomiting, stomach pain or diarrhea, light-colored stool, dark or rust-colored urine, jaundice

• Treatment: Antibody shots to prevent the virus from causing a liver disease. Shots are only effective for two weeks after infection.

Source: Fort Bend County Health and Human Services Department

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CBNNews.com -- LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Thousands of food service workers in eateries across Los Angeles might be vaccinated for hepatitis A because of a series of outbreaks of the disease.

Los Angeles County supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday to look into the costs and benefits of requiring vaccination of more than 100,000 workers at 25,000 eateries, 300 catering companies and 270 wholesale producers.  "We need to ensure that those who are involved in the handling of food are safe and healthy," County Supervisor Mike Antonovich said. "The public is vulnerable."

The vaccinations cost about $200 per person (Actually I think it is closer to $20).  Other cities already require the shot, including Las Vegas and St. Louis.

Last month, a cook at the Wolfgang Puck catering company was diagnosed with hepatitis A. Health officials issued warnings to 3,500 people who attended more than a dozen events catered by the company, including a Sports Illustrated bash celebrating the magazine's swimsuit issue.  That was among roughly 800 cases of hepatitis A in the city in the past two years.

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Beyonce Knowles is free of hepatitis A as she did not eat any food at the party held to celebrate Sports Illustrated's Swimsuit Issue, mews media reports.

"Thank goodness, neither one of us ate. According to the health department, she wasn't at risk," her publicist Alan Nierob was quoted as saying by news reports.

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