A food handler at the McDonald’s at 106 LaFayette Road in Chickamauga, Georgia has been diagnosed with hepatitis A. This person worked there from March 4 through March 17, 2019 while he or she was infectious. “There might be some risk to the public,” said District Health Director Dr. Unini Odama, although it is relatively rare for restaurant patrons to contract this illness from a food handler.
Anyone who ate food or consumed a beverage at that location during that time frame should contact their health care provider. Since the hepatitis A and immune globulin vaccinations are only effective if given within two weeks of exposure, it’s too late for a shot.
Monitor your health for the symptoms of hepatitis A for the next 50 days. Those symptoms can include loss of appetite, weight loss, lethargy, nausea, fever, abdominal pain, light clay-colored stools, and dark urine. Jaundice, which is yellowing of the skin and eyes, may also appear. If symptoms appear, see your doctor.
This infection is spread when someone who is infectious doesn’t wash their hands after using the bathroom and spreads the virus through small amount of feces. Careful hand washing, including under the fingernails, with soap and water can help prevent the spread of this illness.
Anyone who works with the public should consider getting a vaccination against this disease. People are most infectious in the two week before they even know they are sick. In addition, staying home from work or school if you are ill can help prevent the spread of this illness.
