An employee at the Silverthorn Country Club in Spring Hill has been diagnosed with hepatitis A, according to the Florida Department of Health in Hernando County. The employee worked at that location between April 12 and April 30, 2019.
That means that anyone who ate there on April 18, 2019 or later is still eligible to receive a hepatitis A vaccination. Those shots are only effective if given within two weeks of exposure. It’s too late for anyone who ate there before April 18 to get a shot; all those people can do is monitor themselves for the symptoms of hepatitis A and see their doctor if they do appear. Anyone who ate there April 18, 2019 must be vaccinated today.
Any customers who have questions about this can call the DOH-Hernando at 352-247-6111 and leave their information and call-back number to speak to a nurse.
DOH-Hernando is offering the hepatitis A vaccination for free to anyone who ate or drank at the Silverthorn Country Club in mid to late April, at the Spring Hill location of the Health Department May 2-3 and May 6-8 until 7:00 pm. The location for that facility is 7551 Forest Oaks Boulevard in Spring Hill, Florida.
The symptoms of hepatitis A include jaundice (yellow skin and eyes), abdominal pain, clay colored stools, dark urine, fever, joint pain, and lethargy. These symptoms typically appear within 15 to 50 days after exposure to the virus.
There has been a significant increase in hepatitis A cases in Hernando County, as there have been in many cities and states around the country. There is a hepatitis A outbreak that has been going on for months in the U.S.
To prevent this infection, it’s important that anyone who works with the public consider getting a hepatitis A or immune globulin vaccination. Other ways to prevent the spread is to wash your hands well after you use the bathroom, take care of someone who is sick, or change a diaper. Don’t go to work or school if you are sick, especially with a diarrheal illness. And see your doctor if the symptoms of hepatitis A appear.
