An employee at a Red Robin restaurant in Stroudsburg, PA has been diagnosed with Hepatitis A. All employees of the restaurant have been given a vaccination, but customers who visited the restaurant between April 16 and May 5 may have been exposed and could be at risk for developing an infection.
These customers should contact the health department at 1-877-PA-HEALTH. The vaccine, either a hepatitis A vaccination or an immune globulin vaccination, can prevent illness if administered within two weeks of exposure. If you have had hepatitis A in the past or have had the vaccination, you are most likely protected. Check with your doctor to make sure if you have concerns.
Hepatitis A is a liver disease that causes illness lasting for a few weeks or as long as several months. Symptoms generally appear two to seven weeks after exposure and include fatigue, nausea, vomiting, fever, dark urine, clay-colored stools and yellow skin or eyes. However, not everyone infected with hepatitis shows symptoms. The employee who was diagnosed remains ill, but has not been to work since the end of April.
If you visited the restaurant before April 23, 2014, a vaccination will no longer be effective. Please monitor yourself for the symptoms of the disease and if they appear, see your doctor as soon as possible.
Aimee Tysarczyk, a state health department spokeswoman, told Food Poisoning Bulletin that “at this time, the department does not believe there is a risk to the general public. The department has notified any individuals who may have been at risk for exposure and provided recommendations for treatment, as needed.” Adding, ” As the investigation continues and if any public health risks evolve, the department will provide additional information to ensure the safety and well-being of the public, as needed.”
