A food worker at the Cracker Barrel Restaurant and Old County Store at 6450 Dixie Highway in Bridgeport, Michigan has been diagnosed with hepatitis A, according to the Saginaw County Health Department. That person worked there from August 25 through August 28, 2019. Anyone who visited that facility during that time frame may have been exposed to the virus.
Everyone who visited the Cracker Barrel restaurant at that location on the above dates can get a hepatitis A vaccine, since the time frame for administering the hepatitis A or immune globulin vaccination is within the first two weeks of exposure. The vaccine is available at the Saginaw County Health Department and is also available at some pharmacies and through your doctor. You can find the hours of the vaccine clinics by contacting the Saginaw County Health Department or visiting their website. Most adults have not been vaccinated.
Symptoms of hepatitis A, which usually start occurring within 15 to 50 days of exposure to the virus, include fever, nausea, vomiting, stomach and abdominal pain, tiredness, loss of appetite, joint pain, pale feces, dark urine, and yellowing of the skin and eyes (jaundice). If you have been experiencing these symptoms, see your doctor.
The best way to stop the spread of this illness is to get vaccinated. Anyone who works with the public, such as school teachers, health care providers, and food service workers, should consider getting vaccinated. The spread of this illness can also be prevented by thoroughly washing your hands with soap and water after using the bathroom, after taking care of someone who is sick, especially with a diarrheal illness, and by washing your hands well before preparing or serving food.
