The Cumberland County Health Department will offer hepatitis A vaccines for two hours Saturday for those who may have been exposed to the virus at the Olive Garden.
The clinic at 1235 Ramsey St. will be 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. for those who worked or dined at the North MacPherson Church Road restaurant on July 31. The clinic will resume normal hours Monday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. for those who ate there Aug. 1, 2 or 8.
Fort Bragg officials have also set up on-post screening clinics for soldiers and their families who may have been exposed to hepatitis A.
The vaccine is effective only within 14 days of infection. Those who dined or worked at the Olive Garden prior to July 31 should watch for signs of the illness and contact a doctor if they get sick.
Hepatitis A is one of five human hepatitis viruses (hepatitis A, B, C, D, and E) that primarily infect the liver and cause illness. An estimated 80,000 cases occur each year in the U.S., although much higher estimates have been proposed based on mathematical modeling of the past incidence of infection. Each year, an estimated 100 persons die as a result of acute liver failure in the U.S. due to hepatitis A, but the rate of infection has dramatically decreased since the hepatitis A vaccine was licensed and became available in the U.S. in 1995.
Hepatitis A is a communicable (or contagious) disease that spreads from person-to-person. It is spread almost exclusively through fecal-oral contact, generally from person-to-person, or via contaminated food or water. Food contaminated with the virus is the most common vehicle transmitting hepatitis A. The food preparer or cook is the individual most often contaminating the food, although he or she is generally not ill at the time of food preparation. The peak time of infectivity, when the most viruses are present in the stool of an infectious individual, is during the two weeks before illness begins. Although only a small percentage of hepatitis A infections are associated with foodborne transmission, foodborne outbreaks have been increasingly implicated as a significant source of hepatitis A infection.
Hepatitis A may also be spread by household contact among families or roommates, sexual contact, ingestion of contaminated water, ingestion of raw or undercooked fruits and vegetables or shellfish (like oysters), and from persons sharing illicit drugs. Children often have asymptomatic or unrecognized infections and can pass the virus through ordinary play to family members and other children and adults. We are involved in representing families of children who have suffered from this virus.
According to Rock Island press reports, there is some good news if you were affected by last summer's Hepatitis A scare. There could be some money coming your way.
A judge in Rock Island County Court approved a settlement with the Milan McDonald's, which would give everyone a piece of half a million dollars.
Prosecutors said thousands of people went to the McDonald's in June of 2009, and may have been exposed to Hepatitis A. They said the settlement is meant to pay for the inconvenience of getting the shot and having to miss work.
If you think you should be a part of the class action suit, applications will be accepted at www.milanshotclass.com until September 30th.
According to the Quad-City Times, anyone who received immunizations as a result of possible exposure to hepatitis A at a McDonald’s restaurant in Milan, Ill., can make a claim in a $500,000 settlement that is pending approval in Rock Island County Circuit Court. The settlement, titled Patterson v. JKLM, Inc. d/b/a McDonald’s, is pending in the 14th Judicial Circuit Court of Rock Island County. A hearing will be 2:30 p.m. Sept. 16. At the hearing, the court will consider whether to grant final approval of the proposed settlement.
The plaintiff, Quad-City area resident Cody Patterson, acting on behalf of himself and others, filed the suit July 21, 2009. It names the McDonald’s at 400 W. 1st St. and the restaurant’s owner, Kevin Murphy, as defendants. Compensation includes the cost of obtaining the shots and the value of lost time required to get the shots. The class does not include claims for those who became ill with the virus or employees of JKLM Inc. The suit claims to represent all of those who may have contracted or have been exposed to the illness while eating at the McDonald’s in June and July. Murphy said in a statement that he didn’t learn until July 13 about hepatitis A affecting the restaurant, his employees and customers. The suit claims Patterson ate food or drank a beverage from the restaurant eight or more times in June and July. It does not detail the extent of his illness.
In July 2009, the Rock Island County Health Department said that people who had dined at the restaurant between June 1 and July 15, 2009, may have been exposed to hepatitis A. The health department recommended that anyone who had eaten at the restaurant between those dates obtain immunoglobulin injections, or IG shots, to prevent hepatitis A.
Patterson is seeking compensation from JKLM Inc. for everyone who allegedly was exposed to the virus and who subsequently obtained the injections at the health department clinic or a private health care provider between July 15 and Aug. 31, 2009. The health department provided free inoculations to people who ate at the restaurant from July 6-10 and July 13-14, 2009. Two employees there were confirmed as having the disease.
If the settlement is approved, the judgment will release JKLM Inc. from all claims for damages caused to all persons allegedly exposed to the hepatitis A virus while dining at the restaurant and who subsequently obtained IG shots.
Jill Blocker over at Eat, Drink and Be wrote a great summary of what to pay attention to while traveling
Spring is here and people who were bundled up in their homes all winter are finally ready to go out into the world, but as the vacation season begins, remembering food and water safety can help prevent painful vacation memories.
Hepatitis A is one of the most vaccine-preventable infections contracted by travelers. Similar to Travelers’ Diarrhea, another common traveler’s illness, Hepatitis A is spread through food and drink that has come in contact with infected people — often from traces of infected feces — who handle food.
Hepatitis A is a highly contagious liver infection caused by the hepatitis A virus (HAV), according to the Mayo Clinic. It causes the liver to inflame, affecting its ability to function. Approximately 10 million people are infected with HAV each year. Symptoms, which often appear between two and six weeks of contraction, can include nausea, abdominal pain, fever, itching and jaundice.
The fatality rate from HAV is generally low, at approximately 0.3 percent. However, in adults older than 50 the fatality rate increased to 1.8 percent.
HAV infections are more common in developing countries, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Community-wide outbreaks are more likely to occur in developed countries.
“In most intermediate and high anti-HAV-endemic countries, many long-term residents are infected as children, at a time when they may not get symptoms,” according to the CDC. “Cases of hepatitis A in the resident population will be very low; however, travelers from low endemic settings such as the United States are at risk for HAV infection and should be protected.”
In 2006, 72 percent of travel-related HAV cases were associated with travels to Mexico and Central and South America, according to the CDC.
To protect against Hepatitis A while traveling:
• Avoid eating raw fruits and vegetables, or wash fresh produce with a vinegar-solution before consuming.
• Avoid raw or undercooked meats and foods, which could have been contaminated during harvesting or preparation.
• Beware of shellfish harvested from sewage-contaminated water.
• Avoid untreated tap water, including ice. Instead, opt for beverages made with boiled water or prepackaged with an intact seal.
• Avoid street-vendor foods, as they could be less regulated.
The best way to prevent HAV is getting a vaccine. In 2006, the HAV was added to the recommended vaccinations for children. The CDC recommends susceptible people traveling to or working in countries with have high or intermediate hepatitis A endemicity should be vaccinated or receive Immunoglobulin before departure. Immunoglobulin (IG) is an injection of plasma already containing the antibody for instant, but temporary protection of HAV.
On July 13, 2009, Rock Island County Health Department officials informed the McDonald’s corporate office that a McDonald’s franchise in Milan, Illinois had an employee infected with hepatitis A. The employee had been working at that restaurant over the past week. The next day, health officials went to the Milan McDonald’s and found that employees were washing their hands improperly and should have been wearing gloves when they had cuts, painted nails, or fake nails. The inspector provided the employees material about proper hand washing and hepatitis A.
On July 15, health officials returned for a full inspection. The inspection detailed a laundry list of violations, two of them critical, involving “hygienic practices” and “presence of insects/rodents.” It was also reported that after the first employee was confirmed positive with hepatitis A on June 9, another employee had been confirmed positive with hepatitis A on July 15. As a result, the Milan McDonald’s was ordered to close until all employees completed health histories, got vaccinated, and completed hand-washing training.
Though it was initially believed that the employee infections were not detected until July 13, evidence later surfaced suggesting otherwise. The second employee who contracted hepatitis A, Cheryl Schram, had been diagnosed on June 20 and told the restaurant a few days later, once she had been released from the hospital. Despite the highly contagious nature of her illness, she was permitted to return to work.
During the period when the infected employees had been allowed to work and handle food, it was estimated that as many as 10,000 people ate at that restaurant. This led to county health officials inoculating more than 5,000 local residents against the disease in order to contain the outbreak. Unfortunately, the damage had already been done and those infected were beginning to exhibit symptoms.
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) released a report of its investigation into the Hepatitis A outbreak on October 30, 2009. IDPH reported a final tally of 34 confirmed cases of Hepatitis-A with onsets from June 11 through August 10, 2009. IDPH concluded that food from the Milan McDonald’s was the source of the outbreak. IDPH explained:
The restaurant had inspection reports indicating issues with bare hand contact with food, employees reported no use of gloves when preparing foods not later cooked, during hand hygiene education the employees had difficulty in properly washing hands, and the index case in the community, a food handler at McDonalds, had a period of communicability and work history that match with the dates of onset of the majority of the other cases and she handed food that was not later cooked with bare hands. In addition, the case-control study showed that there was an elevated risk of hepatitis A associated with consuming food from the McDonalds in Milan, Illinois. Other possible sources in the community were ruled out.
According to the Quad-City Times, the Rock Island County Health Department announced this morning that it has scheduled a series of February clinics designed to get a second dose of hepatitis A vaccine to people who were inoculated last summer in connection with an outbreak of the disease.
A health department spokesperson said a second dose of the vaccine or Immunoglobulin is recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Protection, or CDC, six months or more after a first dose to provide the maximum protection available through immunization.
The people who should receive a second dose are those who consumed products originating from the McDonald’s restaurant in Milan, Ill., during July 2009.
The clinics will be 8 a.m. to noon and 1-4:30 p.m. on Thursdays this month: Feb. 4, 11, 18 and 25. They will be held at the Rock Island County Health Department, 2112 25th Ave., Rock Island. The clinics will be held on a walk-in basis, with no appointment needed.
The cost is $30, regardless of one’s county of residence; cash or check only (no debit/credit cards).
The original vaccinations were free because the shots were provided as a public health response to an outbreak and were administered to prevent illness in those possibly exposed to hepatitis A and to control the further spread of the disease. Since the second dose is not part of the outbreak response, there is a moderate charge to cover the cost of the vaccine itself. The department is not charging for administering the shots. The customary fee for a hepatitis vaccination at the health department would be $45.
In July 2009, there were two different injections administered, depending upon the client’s age. People through the age of 40 years received Hepatitis A vaccine. People 41 years and older received Immunoglobulin.
Those who received Immunoglobulin, not a first dose of hepatitis A vaccine, are encouraged to attend one of the Thursday clinics to receive their first dose of the vaccine. A small number of people received their first dose of vaccine from another health-care provider. They are welcome to attend health department clinics.
The Illinois Health Department has released its investigation into this summer's hepatitis A outbreak. It concluded the source of most of cases was food eaten at the Milan McDonald's.
The first case of hepatitis A in the Quad city area was discovered last June. As we first reported back then, the first confirmed case of the liver illness was an employee at the Milan McDonald's. Over the next two months, a total of 34 confirmed hepatitis A cases were reported.
A state investigation has concluded most of the cases originated at the Milan McDonald's and most of the cases *would have been prevented* if only that one employee had properly washed hands.
The findings of the investigation by the Illinois Department of Public Health concludes "the index case was a food handler at the McDonalds in Milan, Illinois and had onset of illness June 11." Investigators also found "other possible sources in the community were ruled out."
And, "The source of the outbreak for the majority of outbreak cases was food eaten at the McDonalds, Milan, Illinois where a food handler worked while infectious and handled foods that were not later cooked."
The state investigation goes on to say that "if the first employee with hepatitis A had used proper hand-washing technique while working the transmission of hepatitis A through food would not have occurred."
And, "proper hand-washing by the index case would have prevented the majority of the cases in the community. Reporting of the index case by designated reporters before June 25 would have.. reduced the number of cases in the community."
According to the Quad-City Times, Trinity Regional Health System has paid $80,000 to Rock Island County to help reimburse unanticipated expenses related to this past summer's hepatitis A outbreak.
Trinity Medical Center treated some of at least 32 patients who came down with the liver disease in July and August. The Rock Island County Health Department inoculated more than 5,324 area residents against the disease during vaccination clinics held in late July.
An investigation completed in early August by the Rock Island County Sheriff's Department concluded that Trinity Regional Health System and Metropolitan Medical Laboratory did not report cases of hepatitis A as promptly as required by law to the county health department, where the belated reports were not acted upon immediately because an employee was on vacation.
The hepatitis A blog supplements Marler Clark's Web site www.about-hepatitis.com, a site that provides information about hepatitis A, the symptoms and risks of infection, hepatitis A testing/detection, and how to prevent the spread of the hepatitis A virus.
