Thread: Hepatitis A case prompts health alert

I’ll have a side of Hepatitis A with those chips and hot sauce!
Do we know if this employee is in the country illegally? Does this restaurant employee illegals?

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/4563502.html
Hepatitis A case prompts health alert
Recent diners at Pappasito's on I-45 North were possibly exposed, may need shots
“Health officials say that anyone who ate at a north Houston Pappasito's Cantina in late January or earlier this month may have been exposed to hepatitis A by an infected member of the waitstaff.
A health advisory was issued Sunday for those who ate at the Pappasito's at 15280 Interstate 45 North on Jan. 23-27; Jan. 30-31; and Feb. 1, 3, 7, 8 and 9. Officials know of only one infection involving the I-45 North restaurant.
The health department received 320 calls about the incident by 2 p.m. today. Also, the health department has acquired immune globulin to treat approximately 4000 people at a total cost of over $88,500.
About 50 staff members are working to assess the situation, provide immune globulin when appropriate and ensure access to information allowing the public to make the appropriate decisions regarding their health and safety, officials said in a statement.
Anyone exposed to hepatitis A can be treated with antibodies, but they must receive shots no later than two weeks after exposure, said Dr. Herminia Palacio of the Harris County Public Health & Environmental Services Department.
"This is one of those cases where we were notified in time to actually do something about it," she said. "We're still within the two-week window for folks who ate at this restaurant. This announcement is to offer those folks protection."
The health department will offer free shots of immune globulin antibodies to people who dined at the restaurant on Feb. 7, 8 and 9. The shot will prevent hepatitis A infection from the current exposure, but doesn't offer lifelong immunity.
Feb. 7 diners should get shots no later than Wednesday, while Feb. 8 diners should get shots no later than Thursday and Feb. 9 diners should get shots no later than Friday.
For those who missed the deadline, look for such symptoms as fever, nausea, abdominal pain and jaundice, and contact a health care provider.
Employee tested positive
There is no cure for hepatitis A, a liver disease caused by the hepatitis A virus, but most people who are infected do not develop major long-term health problems, Palacio added. Hepatitis A is contracted orally.
"Hepatitis A, fortunately, generally speaking, does not have long-term consequences," Palacio said, but added that some infected people have significant health problems.
Most people infected with hepatitis A will recover within several weeks.
Health officials were notified that a member of the waitstaff was infected after the person became sick, visited a health care provider and tested positive. Upon inspection of the restaurant, officials noticed that some employees were not wearing gloves or using scoops when serving tortilla chips.
"The restaurant was really good about working with us and remedying all food-handling issues," Palacio said.
The restaurant manager referred all media questions to the corporate office, but a representative for Pappas Restaurants could not be reached for comment Sunday.”

And all of this is costing taxpayers in Houston big money. In terms of the cost to the county, it's being quoted as $88,500, all for this one confirmed case. The biggest cost of the hepatitis case was for the immune globulin shots. The county had to get a special shipment from the manufacturer to treat the 3,000 people who could benefit from the treatment.
Thank goodness Dumbya saw the wisdom of opening the borders. It'll keep the pharmaceutical companies in business manufacturing vaccines for turd world diseases we had all but eradicated here. Viva open borders!
Viva Hepititus A!

the restaurant should have to pay for this not the American taxpayer. the American taxpayer is the most abused individual by our own gonernment. if the person who first spread the hep A was illegal and a Mexican national send the bill to mexico!

Go get your Hep A vaccines right away. Got them for my kids.

No comment on how this was spread? Hummmm
Possible all food workers should pass physical exam. That is what use to be done in Las Vegas, not sure if it is now.

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A Sports Illustrated bash for its annual swimsuit issue has turned into a health scare for stars in Hollywood after a caterer working for celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck may have exposed them to acute Hepatitis A.

The Los Angeles County health department recommended on Tuesday that anyone who ate uncooked food at the U.S. sports magazine's party on February 14 get treatment by Wednesday to avoid developing the serious liver disease.

Health officials said the risk was "quite low" and that no Wolfgang Puck pre-packaged foods or restaurants were affected.

Hepatitis A is caused by a virus spread by ingesting something contaminated with the feces of an infected person. Symptoms can include fever, fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea, abdominal pain and jaundice.

Carl Shuster, president of Wolfgang Puck Catering, said the company was working closely with health officials to contact anyone who ate food prepared in its Hollywood kitchen between February 1 and 20.

Shuster said the worker was placed on medical leave and the company has "applied exceptional procedures" to disinfect the kitchens and food processing areas.

"Our catering efforts continue and we remain confident that our guests will receive the highest standards of excellence for which Wolfgang Puck is known," the statement said.

This year's swimsuit issue features singer-actress Beyonce Knowles as the cover model, with rapper Kanye West, country star Kenny Chesney and members of the bands Aerosmith and Gnarls Barkley posing with scantily clad models.

Got my kids vaccinated last year. Children need two rounds, 6 months apart.

A grammer school in Cranford, NJ had an outbreak of Hep A.


Close the borders, deport the problem!