Saco House of Pizza employee diagnosed with Hepatitis A

Liz Gotthelf, Publisher•

SACO — The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention has identified a case of acute hepatitis A in a Saco House of Pizza employee.

The staff member handled food at the restaurant at 163 Main St. while infectious from Aug. 5 through Aug. 21, according to the Maine CDC. This employee was not in charge of preparing food, but did have access to food in the kitchen, according to the Maine CDC.

The Maine CDC has determined that restaurant patrons and employees may be at risk for the hepatitis A infection. It recommends that anyone who ate food prepared at Saco House of Pizza or worked at the restaurant from Aug. 18 to Aug. 21 promptly receive a hepatitis A vaccine, as there is a 14-day window during which the treatment is effective after exposure.

Those who visited or ate food from the restaurant between Aug. 5 and Aug. 17 are outside of this time frame, but should watch for symptoms and seek medical attention if symptoms develop, according to the Maine CDC.

The best way to prevent hepatitis A infection is to get vaccinated, according to the Maine CDC.

Hepatitis A is a vaccine-preventable, contagious liver disease caused by the hepatitis A virus. Symptoms range from mild illness to a severe sickness that requires hospitalization and can last several months. Most adults with hepatitis A have a sudden onset of symptoms such as tiredness, low appetite, stomach pain, nausea, dark urine, and jaundice. Children younger than 6 years often do not have symptoms but can pass the disease to others, according to the CDC.

Hepatitis A can be spread through contaminated food or water, especially in food prepared by a person who is infected. Symptoms usually appear 15 to 50 days after exposure to the virus. An infected person can spread the virus to others from about two weeks before symptoms start until one week after symptoms end.

For more information on hepatitis A, visit: www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/hav/index.htm .

Publisher Liz Gotthelf can be reached at [email protected].