Saturday, December 04, 2004
By NATALIA E. ARBUL?
narbulu@repub.com
SPRINGFIELD – Local school and health officials responded promptly to a reported case of hepatitis A in a White Street Elementary School cafeteria worker, according to state officials.
“We feel everything was handled in a timely fashion,” said Nicole St. Peter, director of public affairs at the state Department of Public Health.
The worker went to an undisclosed hospital Monday seeking treatment for symptoms related to a pre-existing condition when she tested positive for the virus, according to Helen Caulton-Harris, director of the city’s Health and Human Services Department.
The blood test confirming the case of hepatitis A came back Thursday, she said.
The hospital immediately informed local health officials and the state Department of Public Health, Caulton-Harris said.

School officials were notified Thursday afternoon, said Mary Zamorski, the school district’s nursing supervisor.
District officials acted quickly to identify cafeteria workers that may have been exposed to the virus.
Hepatitis A is a viral liver disease that spreads through unsanitary conditions.
State health officials do not feel students or teachers are at risk and no new cases have been reported, Caulton-Harris said.
The state Department of Public Health advised local officials to contain the virus by inoculating the worker’s family and four co-workers at the city’s health department, Zamorski said.
The department has not advised officials to go to the next level of response which involves the inoculation of teachers and students, Caulton-Harris said.
School principal Geraldine A. Barrett yesterday sent a letter in English and Spanish to parents informing them of the case. It also included a hepatitis A fact sheet.
“Be assured that all the necessary steps have been taken to ensure the safety of all of the members of our White Street School family,” the letter read.
Barrett said everyone at the school was fine, but many people asked what the symptoms are.
Symptoms include jaundice, fatigue, nausea, diarrhea, fever and abdominal pain, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Web site.
Symptoms usually affect adults more than children, Caulton-Harris said. They commonly appear within 28 days of exposure but can show up anywhere between 15 to 50 days, she said.
The virus is usually found in the stools of infected people. It is spread by feces to hands and then to mouth. It can also be spread through contaminated food.
Caulton-Harris urged parents to ensure children washed their hands after going to the bathroom.