The Springfield-Greene County Health Department is alerting the public about a possible hepatitis A exposure at the Red Robin restaurant at 3720 S. Glenstone Avenue in  Springfield, Missouri. An individual recently diagnosed with the disease worked there while he or she may have been contagious. Officials fear that 5,000 people may have been exposed to the virus.
Anyone who ate at the restaurant from May 8 to May 16, 2014 may have been exposed. A hepatitis A vaccination or an immune globulin vaccination within two weeks of exposure can prevent the disease. Today is two weeks from the first possible exposure date, so it’s critical that those who visited the restaurant on May 8, 2014 get a vaccination today.
Hepatitis A is a viral infection of the liver that can cause an illness that can be mild or severe. Some people can be sick for months, and anyone with a pre-existing liver condition can become seriously ill. The virus is easily transmissible from person to person in a food service environment.
The Health Department has set up a vaccination clinic at Remington’s at 1655 W. Republic Road today, from 11:00 am to 6:00 pm. Vaccinations will also be offered tomorrow, May 23, 2014 from 7:00 am to noon. Mercy will offer vaccines at the Smith Glynn Callaway Clinic at 3231 S. National on May 24 – 26 from noon to 4:00 pm.
A hotline is also available for anyone with questions: 417-829-6200. It will be staffed May 22, 2014 from 7:00 am to 7:00 pm, and May 23, 2014 from 7:00 am to 5:00 pm.
Symptoms of hepatitis A include fever, fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, dark urine, clay-colored bowel movements, joint pain, and jaundice. If you have been vaccinated against hepatitis A or have had the disease, you are most likely protected. Contact your doctor if you have questions about this, or you can read a FAQ the county has set up.
