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 The Salt Lake Valley Health Department (SLVHD) has announced that a case of hepatitis A in a food worker employed at a local restaurant has been confirmed and they are urging some patrons to receive a preventive inoculation.

Health department officials say that people who ate at Quiznos at 30 East Broadway (300 South) in Salt Lake City on August 6 and 7 may be at risk for developing hepatitis A and should receive an injection of immune globulin (IG) or hepatitis A vaccine as soon as possible. These people can obtain a vaccination at the SLVHD City Clinic at 610 South 200 East today (August 19) until 5pm, tomorrow (August 20) from 8:30am to 6:30pm and Saturday (August 21) from 8:00am to 12 noon. The cost of vaccinations will be covered by Quiznos.

People who ate at the restaurant on these dates and who are not currently in the Salt Lake valley area are urged to contact their state or local public health department or their health care provider.

Additionally, people who ate at the restaurant between July 27th and August 5th may also have been exposed but would not benefit from the immunizations because immunizations must be given within 14 days of exposure. These people should watch for signs of hepatitis A and contact their health care provider if they develop illness.

Immune globulin and/or the hepatitis A vaccine can prevent infection if given within 14 days of exposure. People between ages 1 and 40 can receive hepatitis A vaccine; infants and people over 40 should receive immune globulin. If you have received the hepatitis A vaccine series, you do not need to be revaccinated.

Early signs of hepatitis A appear 2-6 weeks after exposure. Symptoms commonly include an abrupt onset of fever, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, tiredness, pain in the upper right side of the abdomen, dark urine and jaundice (yellowness of eyes or skin).

The disease varies in severity, with mild cases lasting two weeks or less and more severe cases lasting 4-6 weeks or longer. Some individuals, especially children, may not develop jaundice and may have an illness so mild it can go unnoticed. However, even mildly ill persons can be highly infectious. Persons with symptoms suggestive of hepatitis should consult a physician immediately, even if symptoms are mild.

Hepatitis A virus is spread as a result of fecal contamination (fecal-oral route) and may be spread from person to person through close personal or intimate contact or through food handling. The virus is commonly spread by contaminated food or beverages. Persons are at increased risk of acquiring hepatitis A when they have been in close and continuous contact with an infected person.

Quiznos Restaurant Inspection Information No other Quiznos restaurants have been affected by this Hep A exposure. SLVHD restaurant inspection records show that the Quiznos restaurant has had very good inspections in the past and the restaurant management is cooperating fully with the investigation. There are no other confirmed hepatitis A cases related to the restaurant at this time and the restaurant is still open for business. There is no risk of exposure at this time.

The Marler Clark hepatitis A lawyers developed this site to keep our clients up-to-date on current litigation being prosecuted by Marler Clark throughout the United States. The site is also a resource for Marler Clark co-counsel in hepatitis A cases, print and broadcast media who are working on stories about hepatitis A outbreaks and outbreak-related lawsuits, and potential clients who are researching Marler Clark in anticipation of filing a hepatitis A claim.

Washing your hands is one of the best ways to protect against this serious liver disease

Are you traveling to another country, such as Mexico, Africa, Central or South America, Asia (except Japan) or Eastern Europe? Do you have children in a daycare center, work directly with children or help ill adults? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you should consider receiving the hepatitis A vaccine.

Hepatitis A is a serious liver disease caused by the hepatitis A virus. It is the most common type of hepatitis and it can range from mild "flu-like" symptoms to sudden and severe onset liver failure. One in five people are actually hospitalized because of hepatitis A. Some common symptoms are feeling very tired, sick to your stomach, losing weight without trying, pain on the right side of the belly, under the rib cage, a fever or sore muscles. Additionally, older adults may have jaundice (yellow skin), along with dark urine and clay-colored stools.

How is hepatitis A spread? The virus is found in the stool of an infected person. It is spread when a person eats food or drinks water that has come in contact with infected stool. This can happen when an employee with hepatitis A does not wash his or her hands after using the bathroom and then prepares food. The same is true in a daycare center when workers do not wash their hands after changing a diaper.

Another way of contracting hepatitis A is by eating raw oysters or undercooked clams. Similarly, if you travel to a country where hepatitis A is common and you eat uncooked foods or drink tap water, you may contract the virus.

GET VACCINATED

A simple way you can protect yourself from hepatitis A is to get the vaccine. This involves a series of two shots and they are usually 100 percent effective when you get them both before you are exposed to the virus.

A vaccine, like any medicine, could possibly cause serious problems, such as a severe allergic reaction. However, the risk of hepatitis A vaccine causing serious harm, or death, is extremely small and getting a shot is much safer than getting the disease.

Some mild problems include soreness where the shot was given, headache, loss of appetite, and tiredness. Severe problems, which are very rare, would be an allergic reaction that would occur within a few minutes to a few hours of the shot. Signs of a serious allergic reaction can include difficulty breathing, hoarseness or wheezing, hives, paleness, weakness, a fast heartbeat or dizziness.

There are certain people in the community who should be routinely vaccinated with the hepatitis A vaccine. First, all children age 1, and anyone age 1 and older traveling to or working in countries with high or intermediate prevalence of hepatitis A. Some of these countries are listed at the beginning of this article, but you should consult your physician for more information.

Next, all children and adolescents 18 years of age who live in states or communities where routine vaccination has been implemented because of high disease incidences should receive the vaccine. Lastly, persons who fall within the following groups should also receive the vaccine: men who have sex with men, addicts who use street drugs, people who are treated with clotting factor concentrates and those with chronic liver disease.

There are also certain members of the population who should not receive the vaccine. First, anyone who has ever had a severe (life-threatening) allergic reaction to a previous dose of hepatitis A vaccine should not get another dose. Anyone who has a severe (life threatening) allergy to any vaccine components should not get the vaccine. Next, anyone who is moderately or severely ill at the time the shot is scheduled should probably wait until they recover. Lastly, the safety of the hepatitis A vaccine for pregnant woman has not been determined. Nevertheless, there is no evidence that it is harmful to either pregnant women or their unborn babies and the risk, if any, is thought to be very low.

It is important to note that you can only get the hepatitis A virus once and it does not lead to long-term liver problems. After it is contracted, your body builds up a defense against it. It can, as previously explained, be prevented totally if certain precautions are taken and the vaccine is received. If you meet the criteria listed above, please contact your healthcare provider to learn more.

This column is provided by the Richmond County Medical Society. Dr. Scafuri is a member of the Society, and specializes in infectious disease. He maintains a practice in West Brighton.