An employee of the Birmingham restaurant Social Kitchen and Bar has become infected with Hepatitis A — causing health officials to urge some recent customers to watch out for any signs of the illness and potentially seek vaccination or treatment immediately.
The employee, identified only as a food service worker who lives in Wayne County, potentially could have exposed customers at the restaurant at 225 E. Maple Road between the dates of July 16 and Aug. 6., according to a news release from the Michigan Department of Health & Human Services, or MDHHS. Anyone who ate at the restaurant during that time is asked to watch for signs of infection — “which include sudden onset of abdominal discomfort, dark urine, fever, diarrhea, and yellow skin and eyes,” the release said.
The employee was diagnosed with the illness on Aug. 6, and the restaurant called health officials "immediately upon learning of the diagnosis," a restaurant spokeswoman, Leslie Pardo, said in an e-mail. Pardo added that no other cases of illness have been reported, and the bar has been cleared to stay open after a health department inspection.
"The restaurant is 100% compliant with Health Department regulations and will continue to maintain the highest food safety standards," Pardo said.
Hepatitis A is a “highly contagious” liver infection, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC also says that the illness spreads when a person “ingests fecal matter — even in microscopic amounts” from contaminated food, drinks or objects.
The disease takes between 15 and 50 days to show symptoms after exposure, and recovery can take several weeks or several months. (Most recover without complications.)
A vaccine may help if given within two weeks of exposure, so customers should seek vaccination immediately, the MDHHS said. (People who have received two doses of the vaccine do not need to be immunized again.) Health officials in Oakland County are also reaching out to employees of the restaurant to recommend treatment options.
Anyone who has developed the infection should stay home and call a health care provider. The Oakland County Health Division can be reached from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday at 248-848-5533. Those in Wayne County can call the Wayne County Wellness Services Division from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday at 734-727-7078.
The employee, identified only as a food service worker who lives in Wayne County, potentially could have exposed customers at the restaurant at 225 E. Maple Road between the dates of July 16 and Aug. 6., according to a news release from the Michigan Department of Health & Human Services, or MDHHS. Anyone who ate at the restaurant during that time is asked to watch for signs of infection — “which include sudden onset of abdominal discomfort, dark urine, fever, diarrhea, and yellow skin and eyes,” the release said.
The employee was diagnosed with the illness on Aug. 6, and the restaurant called health officials "immediately upon learning of the diagnosis," a restaurant spokeswoman, Leslie Pardo, said in an e-mail. Pardo added that no other cases of illness have been reported, and the bar has been cleared to stay open after a health department inspection.
"The restaurant is 100% compliant with Health Department regulations and will continue to maintain the highest food safety standards," Pardo said.
Hepatitis A is a “highly contagious” liver infection, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC also says that the illness spreads when a person “ingests fecal matter — even in microscopic amounts” from contaminated food, drinks or objects.
The disease takes between 15 and 50 days to show symptoms after exposure, and recovery can take several weeks or several months. (Most recover without complications.)
A vaccine may help if given within two weeks of exposure, so customers should seek vaccination immediately, the MDHHS said. (People who have received two doses of the vaccine do not need to be immunized again.) Health officials in Oakland County are also reaching out to employees of the restaurant to recommend treatment options.
Anyone who has developed the infection should stay home and call a health care provider. The Oakland County Health Division can be reached from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday at 248-848-5533. Those in Wayne County can call the Wayne County Wellness Services Division from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday at 734-727-7078.
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