A food worker at Rosa’s Restaurant and Catering in Hamilton, New Jersey has been diagnosed with hepatitis A, according to public health officials. The facility is located at 3442 South Broad Street in Hamilton Township.
Anyone who ate at this restaurant from November 10, 2014 through December 1, 2014 may be at risk for developing hepatitis A. Unvaccinated people who ate there should get an injection of immune globulin or hepatitis A vaccine if they ate their November 18, 2014 or later.
Vaccinations only work if given within two weeks of exposure. Uninsured Hamilton residents can contact the Hamilton Health Department at 609-890-3884 for an appointment starting at 8:30 am today. Anyone who has been previously vaccinated or has had the illness should be immune. Contact your health care provider if you are unsure.
If you ate there before November 18, 2014, monitor yourself for the symptoms of hepatitis A, which include mild fever, nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, diarrhea, tiredness, jaundice, dark urine, clay-colored stools, and pain in the upper right side of the abdomen. Most cases appear within 2 to 6 weeks of exposure.
Most people do recover within two weeks, but some people, especially those with liver problems, can become very ill if they get this disease. Some cases of hepatitis A can last four to six weeks or longer. But even those who are only mildly ill are highly contagious. If you do develop these symptoms, see your doctor.
To prevent the spread of hepatitis A and other foodborne illnesses, wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water for at least 20 seconds before preparing food and eating, and after using the bathroom and changing diapers. If you are sick, do not prepare food or serve food or drink to others. A press conference will be held by Hamilton Township officials Tuesday, December 2, 2o14 at the HamStat Call Center Training Room at 11:00 am about this issue.
For some reason, a worker diagnosed with Hep-a is more disturbing that the more serious viral and bacterial infections. It leads me to question him rather than who he has been around, even though that may not be the case. I am thinking “what does this guy eat”, rather than whom has he been around. You see e-coli, etc, all the time, but this particularly disturbs me. I am lead to question the hiring practices of this restaurant.