There was a hepatitis A exposure at Cardinal Provisions in Asbury Park, New Jersey in September 2023, according to the Monmouth County Health Department. The company notified the health department about the employee’s diagnosis. That venue is located at 513 Bangs Avenue in Asbury Park.
Public health officials visited the establishment and conducted an inspection. They found no evidence of food safety violations. The facility voluntarily closed and did not reopen until all employees who had been exposed to the virus had been vaccinated.
The employee worked while infectious on September 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 14, and 21, 2023. Anyone who consumed food or drinks at Cardinal Provisions on those dates may have been exposed to hepatitis A and should consider getting vaccinated.
The hepatitis A vaccine is only effective if given within two weeks of exposure. That means that anyone who ate there on September 21, 2023 is still eligible for the vaccine. Anyone who ate there on the other days should monitor their health for the symptoms of hepatitis A.
Hepatitis A is a viral infection of the liver that can cause illness within 50 days of exposure. People who are infected are infectious for the first two weeks after exposure, but they will not have symptoms during that time period. Symptoms of this illness include nausea, loss of appetite, tiredness, fever, stomach and abdominal pain, especaily in the upper right quadrant, dark colored urine, diarrhea, light clay-colored stools, and jaundice, which is yellowing of the skin and eyes.
The best way to prevent the spread of this infection is to get vaccinated. In addition, anyone who is ill, especaily with a diarrheal illness, should stay home from work or school until they are completely recovered. If you visited Cardinal Provisions on the dates mentioned above and have been ill, see your doctor.
