Provigo grocery sushi in Montreal may be contaminated with hepatitis A, according to news reports quoting Montreal Public Health. That store is located at 6600 Saint-Jacques street in Montreal’s Notre-Dame-de-Grâce neighborhood.
The sushi products were made between November 17 and 20, 2021 and November 24 and 25, 2021. While the risk of transmission is low, this virus is quite contagious. People can get sick through person to person contact, through touching contaminated surfaces, and by eating contaminated food.
If you ate sushi prepared at that particular store on November 24 and 25, 2021, you can still get a hepatitis A or immune globulin vaccination if you act quickly. That vaccine is only effective if given within two weeks of exposure. You can contact Info-Santé at 811 for a free vaccination appointment. Bring your medicare card and vaccination record. If you have already been vaccinated against the virus, or if you have had hepatitis A in the past, you should be protected; check with your doctor to be sure.
If you ate Provigo grocery sushi made between November 17 and 20, however, it’s too late for a vaccine. You should monitor your health for thee symptoms of hepatitis A for the next 50 days, or through January 13, 2022. If you do feel sick, see a doctor.
Symptoms of hepatitis A include nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, fever, lethargy, pale clay colored stools, diarrhea, dark urine, and the characteristic jaundice, which is yellowing of the eyes and skin. Most people start feeling ill within a couple of weeks, but the incubation period for this virus can be longer.
The best way to prevent transmission of the virus is to get vaccinated. Since people who are infected will not have any symptoms for the first two weeks, they can unknowingly spread the virus. You should also wash your hands thoroughly before eating or preparing food for others, and stay home from work or school if you are sick.
