There is a possible hepatitis A exposure at two restaurants in Westbrook, Maine, according to the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Maine CDC). A food worker worked at those establishments while infectious.
The restaurants are Legends Rest Taproom and Paper City BBQ, which are both located at 855 Maine Street in Westbrook. The dates where the employee was working are: January 14, January 17 to the 21st, January 24 to the 28th, January 31, and February 2, 3, and 4 in 2024.
Anyone who ate there or ordered takeout from those locations during those dates could have been exposed to the virus. Unfortunately, the hepatitis A vaccine is most effective when given within two weeks of exposure. That means that anyone who ate there or ate food prepared at those establishments before January 24, 2024 is probably not eligible for the vaccine. Talk to your doctor about your situation.
The virus is very contagious and is spread through person-to-person contact, through contaminated food and drink, and through contact with surfaces (fomites).
If you have any leftover food from those restaurants that you bought during the above dates of possible hepatitis A exposure, discard it. Clean your refrigerator well and wash your hands after cleaning and after discarding the food.
If you are not eligible for a vaccine, you need to monitor your health for the symptoms of hepatitis A for the next 50 days. Symptoms include tiredness, stomach pain, little or no appetite, nausea, diarrhea, dark colored urine, light clay-colored stools, joint pain, and jaundice, which is yellowing of the skin and eyes. If you do get sick, see your doctor.
