By Mike Belt, Journal-World
Wednesday, November 10, 2004
A food service employee at a Kansas University residence hall has been diagnosed with hepatitis A, but health officials said there was no reason for students or staff to panic.
As a precaution, the Lawrence-Douglas County Health Department vaccinated 17 co-workers of the employee at Gertrude Sellards Pearson Hall Monday night, the university said.
University officials said the ill employee, who wasn’t identified, was recovering away from work and was on sick leave the week before the diagnosis.
The chance of students contracting the disease is very low, said Kim Ens, the health department’s disease control program director.

“We’re very confident the students and staff who eat there are at very low risk,” Ens said.
State health inspectors examined GSP’s food operations and found employees were doing a good job washing their hands and wearing gloves, Ens said.
It is routine procedure to offer injections to co-workers of someone diagnosed with hepatitis A, Ens said. The injections were offered to co-workers because they had been in close contact with the employee during a full shift.
Hepatitis A is a generally mild illness that affects the liver. Symptoms include fatigue, fever, poor appetite, abdominal pain, diarrhea, dark urine and yellowing of the skin and eyes.
The virus is found in feces of infected people and is spread when people do not wash their hands after using the toilet or after changing diapers, then touch their mouths or prepare food for others with uncovered hands.
A person with hepatitis A is most contagious two weeks before symptoms begin.