Hepatitis A identified in Montgomery Applebee

MONTGOMERY, Alabama (WSFA) – The Alabama Department of Public Health has said that a food handler at one of the Applebee restaurants in Montgomery has been infected with hepatitis A.

As a preventive measure, ADPH is asking customers who ate at the Taylor Road location between July 8 and July 16 to contact a health care provider, pharmacy, or the Montgomery County Health Department for a vaccine against hepatitis A or immunoglobulins.

The Department of Health describes hepatitis A as a “viral infection that can be transmitted from person to person and by eating food or drink prepared by an infected person.” Health officials say a vaccine can prevent infection if given within 14 days of exposure. The vaccine can be given to people over 12 months of age who have not completed the hepatitis A vaccination series in two doses. People over 40 can also receive immunoglobulins.

“Adults with hepatitis A can have symptoms such as fatigue, lack of appetite, stomach pain, nausea and jaundice. These symptoms usually go away within two months of infection, ”said Dr. Burnestine Taylor, physician responsible for disease control and prevention at ADHD. “Children under 6 usually have no symptoms or have an unrecognized infection. Almost everyone who gets hepatitis A makes a full recovery.

The Department of Health says it is rare for hepatitis A to cause serious illness, but people over 50 or with other liver diseases are at higher risk.

Officials say the best way to prevent hepatitis A is to receive the vaccine within two weeks of exposure, and that two doses are needed to be considered protection.

Once the infected employee was confirmed, the Taylor Road Applebee closed for a day of cleaning and has since reopened. ADPH reports that the restaurant had “no violations during a recent environmental inspection and continues to be very responsive and cooperative in helping to rectify this situation.”

Copyright 2021 WSFA 12 News. All rights reserved.