Quiznos worker tests positive for hepatitis

SALT LAKE CITY – A worker at a fast food restaurant tested positive for a potentially dangerous infectious disease.

The Salt Lake Valley Health Department announced Thursday that a case of hepatitis A was diagnosed in a food worker employed at a local restaurant.

Health department officials say that people who ate at Quiznos located at 30 East Broadway (300 South) in Salt Lake City on August 6 and 7 may be at risk for developing hepatitis A and should receive an injection of immune globulin or hepatitis A vaccine as soon as possible.

Those potentially affected can obtain a vaccination at the SLVHD City Clinic at 610 South 200 East today until 5pm, Friday, August 20 from 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. and Saturday, August 21 from 8:00 a.m. to noon. The vaccinations will be free of charge to patrons, with all costs covered by Quiznos, according to Pam Davenport, SLVHD spokesperson.

She said people who ate at the restaurant on these dates and who are not currently in the Salt Lake Valley area are urged to contact their state or local public health department or their health care provider.

Additionally, people who ate at the restaurant between July 27 and August 5 may also have been exposed but would not benefit from the immunizations because immunizations must be given within 14 days of exposure, she said.

These people should watch for signs of hepatitis A and contact their health care provider if they develop illness, Davenport told the Deseret News.

Immune globulin and/or the hepatitis A vaccine can prevent infection if given within 14 days of exposure. People between ages 1 and 40 years old can receive hepatitis A vaccine, while infants and people over 40 years old should receive immune globulin, she said.

People who have received the hepatitis A vaccine series do not need to be revaccinated, she added.

Symptoms include an abrupt onset of fever, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fatigue, upper abdominal pain, dark urine and jaundice (yellowness of eyes or skin). People with symptoms should consult a physician immediately, even if symptoms are mild, Davenport said.

The hepatitis A virus may be spread from person to person through close personal or intimate contact or through food handling.