An employee at Casa di Pizza on Elmwood Avenue in Buffalo in Erie county, New York has been diagnosed with hepatitis A. Anyone who ate at the restaurant from February 26, 2015 to March 19, 2015 may have been exposed to the virus. Take out customers and those who ate food and drink at the bar are not affected.
Erie County Department of Health is offering vaccinations to anyone who ate at the restaurant March 9 through March 19, 2015 at the Buffalo Niagara Convention Center at 153 Franklin Street in Buffalo. The clinics will be Monday, March 23, noon to 8 pm, and Tuesday, March 24, 8 am to 6 pm. If you are going to visit this clinic, pre-register at the New York State Department of Health web site. If you can’t pre-register, bring your driver’s license with you.
Vaccinations are only effective when given within two weeks of exposure, so you must be vaccinated by March 23, 2015 if you ate there March 9. Anyone who ate at that restaurant between February 26, 2015 and March 8, 2015 may also have been exposed, but it’s too late for the vaccine. In that case, you should monitor yourself for the symptoms of hepatitis A for the next 50 days. If you do get sick, see your doctor.
If you have had hepatitis A before or have been vaccinated before you may be protected; check with your doctor if you are not sure. Hepatitis A is a serious illness that can really affect those with liver disease, those with pre-existing conditions, and the elderly. The symptoms of hepatitis A are fever, nausea, diarrhea, light colored stool, dark colored urine, yellow eyes and skin (jaundice), tiredness, loss of appetite, and abdominal cramps.
Most people usually recover within a few weeks, but some may be ill as long as six months. Dark urine and jaundice may be a sign that your liver is inflamed; this often requires hospitalization.
