BATAVIA, Ohio – Clermont County Public Health has identified a case of hepatitis A in an employee at the Taco Bell restaurant at 889 S.R. 28 in Miami Township.
The risk to patrons is extremely low. As a precaution, Clermont County Public Health is asking anyone who has eaten at the Taco Bell on State Route 28 in Miami Township from August 15-17 to monitor for symptoms of the virus for up to 50 days. Symptoms of hepatitis A include:
A vaccine can protect you from getting sick if received within two weeks of contact with the virus. Patrons should contact their health care provider if they have questions or concerns.
“The restaurant management has been very cooperative and we are working with them to review safe food handling techniques,” said Health Commissioner Julianne Nesbit.
The Ohio Department of Health declared a statewide outbreak of hepatitis A in June. So far, there have been 256 cases statewide that are linked to this outbreak.
The disease, which affects the liver, can be spread through eating or drinking contaminated food. Food gets contaminated if a person who has the virus does not wash their hands properly after using the bathroom and before preparing or touching food.
In addition to getting a vaccine, the best way to protect yourself from hepatitis A is to wash your hands thoroughly after using the bathroom and before eating.
Illness from hepatitis A can range from a mild case that lasts a few weeks to a severe illness lasting several months.
People at the highest risk of Hepatitis A during this outbreak include:
For more information on the statewide outbreak of hepatitis A, visit the Ohio Department of Health’s website here.
For more information on hepatitis A from the Centers for Disease Control, click here.
