An employee at the Crescent City Tavern in downtown Dalton, Georgia has been diagnosed with hepatitis A, according to the Whitfield County Health Department. That employee, a food handler, worked while infectious during the time period of December 28, 2018 through January 31, 2019. That means that anyone who ate food or drank beverages during that time may have been exposed to the pathogenic virus.
The vaccine is, however, only effective if given within two weeks of exposure. That means that it’s too late for a vaccine for all patrons. But the Whitfield County Health Department, through the Child Health Program, is offering vaccines at no cost, regardless of insurance status. That facility is located at 800 Professional Boulevard in Dalton.
It’s always a good idea to get the hepatitis A vaccine or the immune globulin vaccine. That’s the best way to prevent infection. But for those who may have been exposed at the Crescent City Tavern, all they can do is monitor their health for up to 50 days.
Symptoms include nausea, loss of appetite, abdominal pain, lethargy and tiredness, fever, stomach pain, light-colored stools, dark urine, and jaundice, which is yellowing of the eyes and skin.
Careful handwashing with soap and water after using the bathroom and after taking care of someone who is sick, especially with a diarrheal illness, is another good way to prevent the spread of this pathogen. The virus is passed person-to-person, through food and drink, and through contaminated surfaces.
It’s important too, that anyone who is sick stays home from work or school if they have a diarrheal illness. Some people, especially those with compromised immune systems or liver disease, can become ill enough with this illness to require hospitalization.
