Contamination of food by an infected food worker is the most common mode of transmission of hepatitis A in food borne disease outbreaks (Guzewich 1999). A review of food-borne Hepatitis A outbreaks in the United States found that in many cases the infected food handler either did not seek medical care or delayed getting medical care (Fiore 2004).

So says Dr. Rajiv Bhatia, Director, Occupational and Environmental Health of the San Francisco Department of Public Health.  That’s just a taste of a long article by Dr. Bhatia on the California Progress Report, in which he makes the case that paid sick days are the key to cutting down on food borne illnesses like hepatitis A.

Two years ago, San Francisco began the first city in America to require all employers to provide for paid sick days.  Now the California Assembly is considering imposing the same requirement statewide.

Dr. Bhatia says paid sick days pay positive dividends in the following areas: Avoiding transmission of infectious disease in communities;  Preventing food borne illness;Reducing expensive hospital care; Providing essential care for family members and dependents;and Addressing health disparities.  He says:

For occupations such as health care workers, child care providers, and food service workers, it is critical to keep sick workers out of the workplace.

See Dr. Bhatia’s entire article here.