Hepatitis A exposure warning issued after case is confirmed at a Philly ShopRite
An employee at the ShopRite store at 6301 Oxford Ave. was diagnosed with an acute hepatitis A infection, Philadelphia Department of Public Health officials said.
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City health officials are warning of possible exposure to hepatitis A after a case of the infection was confirmed at a Northeast Philadelphia grocery store.
An employee at the ShopRite at 6301 Oxford Ave. was diagnosed with an acute hepatitis A infection, Philadelphia Department of Public Health officials said Friday. No other cases have been reported, and no other stores were affected.
Officials, however, recommend that customers who handled raw beef or pork or ate undercooked beef or pork purchased at the store’s meat counter between Jan. 4 and 21 get a hepatitis A vaccine as soon as possible. Individuals who previously had hepatitis A or received two doses of a hepatitis A vaccine do not need to be vaccinated.
If you purchased pork or beef from the store’s meat counter during that timeframe, officials said that it should be discarded as a precautionary measure. Officials added that heating food to 185 degrees Fahrenheit for at least one minute can kill the hepatitis A virus, but freezing temperatures do not affect it.
For individuals who need to be vaccinated, the health department plans to offer free hepatitis A vaccinations on Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon at District Health Center #10 (2230 Cottman Ave.). Hepatitis A vaccines are also available at local pharmacies.
While the risk of a hepatitis A infection is low, officials said, they recommend contacting your health-care provider if you develop symptoms. Symptoms typically develop two to six weeks after exposure, and can include diarrhea, vomiting, fever, low energy, stomach pain, jaundice and dark urine.
An infection of the liver, hepatitis A can spread when a person who has the disease fails to thoroughly wash their hands after using the restroom and then prepares food. People who have hepatitis A can spread the virus to those around them for two weeks before they start showing symptoms, and up to one week after symptoms begin.
There is no specific medication that treats hepatitis A, officials said. Often, people with the infection heal at home, but some may need to be hospitalized.