Original Joe’s patrons urged to get vaccinated against Hepatitis A

Miriam Ostermann
Times Associate Editor

 

Numerous local residents are protecting themselves against a dreadful infectious disease, after a food handler at the Strathmore Original Joe’s restaurant tested positive for Hepatitis A.
Although Alberta Health Services believes the risk of secondary infection is low, those patrons who ate at the establishment between June 9 and June 19 are encouraged to get vaccinated within 14 days of exposure.
“Hepatitis A is a notifiable disease, which means that whenever it’s diagnosed by the lab, which would’ve been the case for this individual, then they notify us right away and we investigate,” said Judy MacDonald, medical officer of health at AHS Calgary zone.
“I must emphasize that the risk is very low. We feel there is merit in offering vaccine to help protect people that may have been exposed.”
While MacDonald said secondary infections are extremely rare, AHS statistics show that Hepatitis A infections in the Calgary zone area are on the rise from last year. As data fluctuates from year to year, the Calgary zone has already had 16 confirmed cases for 2015, and 20 cases across Alberta. A noticeable jump from 2014, where only 9 cases were recorded in the Calgary zone, and 24 across the province.
“We have more cases already this year than we had all of last year, but that can happen, and the majority of Hepatitis A cases occur in people that have travelled,” MacDonald added. “It’s a reminder of the recommendation to go and see a travel clinic before you travel outside of Canada, United States, or Western Europe, because Hepatitis A is quite common in other parts of the world and you can get exposed through contaminated food or water.”
AHS confirmed that the food handler of the Strathmore Original Joe’s, located at #8, 100 Ranch Market, travelled outside of the country where they believe she contracted the virus.
As the virus can be present in the stool, and is transmitted through the fecal-oral route, Hepatitis A can spread through the preparation of food and drink when the infected isn’t practicing proper hygiene. It is expected that over 200 customers frequented the establishment a day, before AHS inspected the facilities on June 19.
According to Health Canada, the viral disease occurs worldwide but is most common in developing countries. Symptoms of the infectious disease, which targets the liver, can take up to 50 days to appear, and include fever, nausea, jaundice, loss of appetite, fatigue, dark urine and grey-coloured stool.
Currently there is no treatment for the disease other than relief of the symptoms.
Vaccination clinics were held on June 23 and June 24 in Calgary, Chestermere, and Strathmore.
Anyone who ate at the restaurant during June 9-19 is encouraged to follow up with the Strathmore Public Health Office by calling 403.361.7200. The clinic also urges residents to bring their healthcare card and any record of immunization available.