According to news reports, a restaurant worker at Champs Rotisserie and Sports at 20515 Mack Avenue in Grosse Pointe Woods, Michigan has been diagnosed with a hepatitis A infection. That person is not working at this time and is receiving medical care.
Anyone who ate food or drank a beverage at that facility between October 10 and 30, 2017 may have been exposed to hepatitis A. There is a large regional outbreak of hepatitis A infections in southeast Michigan. More than 480 people have been infected since August 1, 2016.
If you ate there after October 24, 2017, you should get a hepatitis A or immune globulin vaccination to protect yourself. These shots are only effective if given within two weeks of exposure. If you ate there before October 24, 2017, it’s too late for a shot. You need to monitor yourself for the symptoms of a hepatitis A infection and see your doctor if symptoms develop.
Contact the Wayne County Public Health Department because the vaccines are available there. If you have been vaccinated against the hepatitis A virus, or have had the illness before, you are immune. But talk to your doctor just to be safe.
Those symptoms include jaundice, which is yellowing of the eyes and skin; light clay-colored stools; dark urine; abdominal pain and cramps; diarrhea; nausea; vomiting; fever; chills; and lethargy. Anyone infected with this virus may be contagious. Unfortunately, people are contagious two weeks before any symptoms appear.
Most people do recover within a few weeks or months after this infection. People with liver disease, the elderly, and those with chronic illnesses may be more sick for a longer period of time.
To prevent this illness, it’s important to stay home from school or work if you are showing any of these symptoms, especially if you work with the public. Always wash your hands well with soap and water after taking care of someone who is sick, using the bathroom, or changing diapers. Do not prepare food or drink for others if you are sick. And public health officials recommend that people get a hepatitis A vaccination, especially if you work in a public setting.
