A food worker with hepatitis A at Texas Roadhouse in Bangor, Maine worked while sick and infectious, according to the Maine Center for Disease Control. That person worked on October 16-18, 20, 22-25, 27, and 29, 2020. Anyone who visited that restaurant on those dates may have been exposed to the contagious virus.
The government recommends that anyone who ate there between October 21 and October 29, 2020 get a hepatitis A vaccination as soon as possible. That vaccine is only effective for fourteen days after exposure. The recommendation is for anyone who may have had dine-in, take-out, delivery, or curbside pickup of food from the restaurant.
This hepatitis A at Texas Roadhouse means that anyone who ate there from October 16-20 is now outside the two week window. Those people need to monitor themselves for symptoms of the infection and contact their doctor if symptoms appear.
Hepatitis A is a very contagious virus that is transmitted through the fecal-oral route. It can be spread through contaminated food and water, through person-to-person contact, and through contact with surfaces. Symptoms usually start 15 to 50 days after infection and can include fatigue, nausea and vomiting, abdominal pain and discomfort, especially in the upper right quadrant, light clay colored stool, dark urine, joint pain, a low grade fever, intense itching, and yellowing of the skin and eyes (jaundice).
Infected persons can spread the virus for two weeks before symptoms appear; before they even know they are sick. The best way to prevent the transmission of this virus is through vaccination. People should also stay home from work or school if they are sick, especially with a diarrheal illness. And it’s important to wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water after using the bathroom, after taking care of someone who is sick, and before preparing food, serving food to others, and eating.
