October 31, 2018
A case of hepatitis A has been diagnosed in an employee who handled food at T-Mart located at 1210 E. Broadway Campbellsville, KY 42718. The infected person is not working at this time and there is no current risk of being infected with the hepatitis A virus.
While it is rare for restaurant patrons to become infected with hepatitis A virus due to an infected food handler, anyone who consumed food or drink at T-Mart from October 7 through October 30 may consider Hepatitis A vaccination. T-Mart is fully cooperating with the Health Department and is working with the Health Department to get all employees vaccinated. There is minimal risk of contracting hepatitis A from this establishment or any other food establishment at this time, and no case of hepatitis A in the current Kentucky outbreak has been associated with food service establishments.
Vaccine is available through your local pharmacy, the Health Department and your health care provider.
Careful hand washing, including under the fingernails, with soap and water, along with vaccination of anyone at risk of infection, will prevent the spread of this disease.
Hepatitis A is a viral infection of the liver that can cause loss of appetite, nausea, tiredness, fever, stomach pain, brown colored urine, and light colored stools. Yellowing of the skin or eyes may also appear. People can become ill up to 7 weeks after being exposed to the virus.
Hepatitis A usually spreads when a person unknowingly ingests the virus from objects, food, or drinks contaminated by small, undetected amounts of stool from an infected person. The virus spreads when an infected person does not wash his/her hands adequately after using the toilet or engages in behaviors that increase risk of infection.
CDC recommends hepatitis A vaccination for the following groups:
- All children at age 1 year
- Travelers to countries that have high rates of hepatitis A
- Family members and caregivers of recent adoptees from countries where hepatitis A is common
- Men who have sexual contact with other men
- People who use injection and non-injection illegal drugs
- People with chronic (lifelong) liver diseases, such as hepatitis B or hepatitis C
- People who are treated with clotting-factor concentrates
- People who work with hepatitis A infected animals or in a hepatitis A research laboratory
For additional information on the larger outbreak occurring in Kentucky, please visit Kentucky HepA Outbreak
For additional information on how the outbreak is impacting the Lake Cumberland area, please visit LCDHD HepA Outbreak
For more information please contact your local health department.
Contact regarding news release: Stuart Spillman, 606-678-4761 ext.2227
Why aren't anyone who handles any type of food not wearing gloves? I thought it was mandatory.
Gloves aren't actually required. If food service workers wash their hands regularly, the food handling is generally safe. In fact, gloves get dirty, and if they aren't changed regularly they are just as bad as not washing one's hands.
You might want to check address, thinking it is supposed to be 1210 e. Broadway