A health alert was issued today due to a hepatitis A risk linked to food prepared at FoodWorks Yarram located at 261 Commercial Rd, Yarram from 27 April 2016 to 9 June 2016 after a deli worker tested positive for hepatitis A, health officials note.
Victoria Health advises people not to consume, and discard, any ready-to-eat products prepared on site and purchased from FoodWorks Yarram between 25 April 2016 and 9 June 2016. The types of food may include meats purchased from the delicatessen, fruit and vegetables that are not peeled or cooked and pre prepared salads.
According to store management, the employee had recently traveled to India.
Hepatitis A is a virus that can cause a liver infection. Symptoms can last a few days to several months. The virus is rarely fatal and most people develop lifetime immunity following infection. Hepatitis A can be serious however, especially for older people and those with chronic liver disease. For these individuals, there is a greater risk of hospitalization and death. Most people who are infected recover completely. Unlike hepatitis B and C, hepatitis A does not develop into chronic hepatitis or cirrhosis (scarring of the liver) and death from hepatitis A infection is rare.
Symptoms can begin 15 to 50 days after becoming infected. It is also possible to be infected and not have any symptoms. For symptomatic individuals, the severity of symptoms can range from mild to severe.
Common symptoms of hepatitis A include: Fever, tiredness, loss of appetite, nausea/vomiting, dark urine, stomach pains and jaundice (yellowing of the skin).
Hepatitis A virus is usually transmitted by a fecal-oral route either through contaminated drinks or food such as shellfish, or directly from person to person.