ROCKPORT, MASS. (WHDH) - The Massachusetts Department of Public Health is urging anyone who recently ate cold or uncooked foods at a seafood restaurant in Rockport to contact their health care provider due to possible exposure to hepatitis A.
A food service employee at Roy Moore’s Fish Shack with a confirmed case of hepatitis A worked at the restaurant between April 21 and May 12, officials said.
Customers who visited the restaurant during that time period should seek appropriate medical treatment. Hepatitis A vaccine and hepatitis A immune globulin may be effective at preventing infection if administered within two weeks of exposure.
Carol Ellis, ate at the restaurant the night before the possible exposure took place. She says the encounter is too close for comfort.
“I heard it from the health department. Someone in town told me about it so I looked it up and got worried,” Ellis said. “Actually the date does not include the date I ate there. The cut off was Sunday and I ate there Monday night. But, you’re still worried.”
Cold or uncooked foods include salads and salad items, rolls, bread, hamburger and hot dog buns, fruit or vegetable garnishes, cold desserts, hamburger or sandwich condiments such as pickles and onions, chips, as well as ice or beverages containing ice.
The early signs and symptoms of hepatitis A are fever, fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and jaundice (dark urine, yellowing of the skin or the whites of the eyes).
The illness varies in severity, with mild cases lasting two weeks or less and more severe cases lasting four to six weeks or longer.
Hepatitis A virus is spread as a result of fecal contamination and may be spread through close contact or through food handling. The virus can also be spread by contaminated food and beverages.
Those who ate at the restaurant are advised to be particularly thorough in handwashing after toileting and prior to food preparation to avoid any potential further spread of disease.
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