650 Salt Lake City Restaurant Guests May Be Exposed to Hepatitis A

SALT LAKE CITY – Hundreds of customers in a downtown Salt Lake restaurant may have been exposed to hepatitis A from late July to mid-August and this incident is believed to be linked to an ongoing epidemic in l & # 39; Utah. .

A worker infected with the virus "potentially handled some food or drink" from July 25 to August 15 at The New Yorker Restaurant, 60 W. Market St., said the Salt Lake County Department of Health.

According to the department, approximately 650 clients could have been exposed. The county contacted clients "for whom contact information was available," department spokesman Nicholas Rupp said in a press release.

The two-week period during which a vaccine against hepatitis A may be effective after exposure has already passed, "These people must monitor the symptoms of hepatitis A and consult their health care provider." if they are concerned ".

"The incubation period for hepatitis A is two to seven weeks, so potentially affected clients should monitor the symptoms until October 3," he said.

By Monday, no additional cases of hepatitis A had been reported to the county and could be attributed to the infected employee.

Symptoms of hepatitis A, an infection of the liver, include jaundice, vomiting, fever and loss of appetite. It can spread through tiny traces of feces from an infected person, which makes it likely to spread through contaminated food or drink.

Any client who may have been assigned can call the Salt Lake City Department of Health at 385-468-INFO (4636).

According to Mr. Rupp, the New Yorker restaurant "cooperates fully with the investigation and the response of the Department of Health" and "sanitized the affected restoration areas in accordance with the recommendations of the Department of Health".

He added that "prior to this exposure, the New Yorker had also offered his employees the vaccine against hepatitis A, but the infected employee chose not to receive it."

A vaccination against hepatitis A is not required for Salt Lake County restoration workers, except in cases where it is confirmed that a colleague has been exposed to the virus. All employees of New York restaurants who had not yet received the vaccine are now required to obtain them, Rupp said.

"Other foodservice facilities should also consider vaccinating their employees against hepatitis A," said Dr. Dagmar Vitek, medical director of the Salt Lake County Health Department. "The cost of vaccination is minimal compared to the cost of possible exposure in your facility."

The county estimates that the New York worker's infection is linked to an outbreak of hepatitis A in Utah that caused the disease of 277 people and resulted in 152 hospitalizations and three deaths since May 2017.

Of all cases suspected of being related to the outbreak, 191 were reported in Salt Lake County.

The New Yorker is the Wasatch Front's fifth restaurant whose customers were warned this year of possible exposure to hepatitis A. In January, health authorities issued warnings to customers of the Olivier and Sonic Drive- In at Spanish Fork, as well as a 7-Eleven in West Jordan. In April, clients of a food deal at Murray were also informed that they could have been exposed.

The two-shot hepatitis A vaccine has been successful in preventing infection with the virus for about 20 to 25 years, said Rupp. Since July 2002, children entering kindergarten in Utah have been vaccinated against hepatitis A.

Washing your hands after using the toilet and before eating or preparing food can also help keep the virus away, health officials say.

Ben Lockhart, KSL