The Idaho Central District Health Department (CDHD) is warning the public that an employee at the Cheesecake Factory at 330 North Milwaukee Road in Boise had hepatitis A.
If you ate at the restaurant between December 13, 2011 and January 22, 2012, you may have been exposed to the virus. If you’ve been vaccinated or had the disease in the past, you’re protected.
The CDHD said, “The risk to the public health is extremely low because the employee was not involved in food preparation. Still, there is the possibility that patrons could have been exposed to hepatitis A.” The ill employee did prepare drinks and served food, although the CDHD said “the employee is believed to have practiced good hand hygiene.”
The virus is usually transferred when someone who has it doesn’t wash their hands properly. Symptoms of hepatitis A, which affects the liver, include loss of appetite, abdominal pain, yellowing of the skin, fever, nausea, tiredness, and dark urine. The incubation period for the virus is from 30 to 50 days. If you have any of these symptoms, see your doctor.
People most at risk include pregnant women, children, the elderly, and anyone with a chronic illness or compromised immune system. Illness can range from mild symptoms lasting a couple of weeks, to a severely disabling disease.
