A potential Famous Anthony’s hepatitis A outbreak in Roanoke, Virginia has sickened at least 10 people, according to news reports and the Roanoke City and Alleghany Health Districts. An employee who tested positive for the virus worked while infectious at three Famous Anthony’s restaurants that are located on Grandin Road, Williamson Road, and Crystal Spring Avenue in that city. All ten patients were hospitalized. Officials think the case count will increase.
The employee worked there between August 10 and August 26, 2021. That means that it is too late for anyone who was exposed there during that time frame to get the hepatitis A or immune globulin vaccine. The vaccine is only effective if given within two weeks of exposure.
The virus is very contagious and is spread through contaminated food and drink, through person-to-person contact, and through contact with contaminated objects, called fomites. Sanitizing surfaces can help, but will not completely prevent the spread of this virus.
One reason the virus is so easily spread is that an infected person is infectious for two weeks before symptoms even start, so they don’t know they are sick.
If you ate at any of the Famous Anthony’s restaurants at those locations in late August, monitor yourself for the symptoms of hepatitis A. Those symptoms include fever, fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting, weight loss, lethargy, abdominal pain, especially in the upper right quadrant where the liver is located, dark urine, light clay-colored stools, and jaundice, which is yellowing of the skin and eyes. People can recover without medical care, but some, especially those with liver disease and compromised immune systems, may require hospitalization.
Symptoms can take up to 50 days to appear after infection. If you do experience these symptoms, see your doctor. You may be part of this Famous Anthony’s hepatitis A outbreak.
If you or a loved one have been sickened with a Hepatitis A infection after eating at a Famous Anthony’s restaurant in Roanoke, Virginia, please contact our experienced attorneys for help at 1-888-377-8900 or 612-338-0202.
