--- title: HEPATITIS A CAUSES CONCERN date: 2006-09-06T12:21:54-07:00 author: Bill Marler canonical_url: "https://marlerclark.com/news_events/hepatitis-a-causes-concern" section: News --- [All News](/news_events) / # HEPATITIS A CAUSES CONCERN By Bill Collins 09/05/06 Staff Writer Mid-August’s hepatitis A scare in Fort Wayne has prompted local health concerns about the virus. Several cases of the disease that were reported were apparently contracted from a Fort Wayne Pizza Hut employee. The employee was working between August 3 and 19, but has not been employed there since that time. Hepatitis A can be transferred simply from an infected person not observing proper hygiene procedures, said Dr. Sarah Sayger of the Purdue University Student Health Center. Sayger said people sometimes try to cut time and do not do a thorough job washing their hands and following proper health procedures in restaurants. Although not washing thoroughly every time may have little consequences for most people, proper hygiene in this area is vitally important for those handling food. The signs in restaurant bathrooms stating that employees must wash hands before returning to work are meant to prevent this kind of outbreak. However, hepatitis A can be spread also through poor agricultural practices. Several cases Sayger related included those where people have contracted hepatitis A from sea shellfish and from poorly fertilized lettuce, in which human fecal matter was mixed in with the fertilizer. Symptoms of this disease include a vague flu and often diarrhea, said Sayger. Other symptoms include yellowing of the eyes, dark-colored urine, abdominal pain, vomiting, mild fever, fatigue and pale-colored feces. Sayger encourages anyone with any of these symptoms to contact PUSH and set up an appointment. A dose of Immune globulin administered within the first two weeks after infection can terminate the disease, she said. However, she said prevention is the best treatment, and careful observation of hygiene procedures can keep hepatitis A from being contracted or spread. Sayger recommends a thorough washing with soap and water, all over the hands and between the fingers, for at least 90 seconds. This is especially important before handling food. Because of this, restaurants observe the strictest hygiene procedures to protect their customers. Jordan Cramer, who works at the Triple XXX restaurant on Salisbury Street, outlined some of the procedures restaurants observe. Employees are required to wash their hands, and the tables are thoroughly cleaned nightly, Cramer said. Everything from the silverware and plates to the ketchup bottles and soft drink dispensers are all sanitized regularly. "If some food doesn’t look right, I don’t serve it," she said. More emphasis on cleanliness in restaurants is one of the reasons why cases such as the hepatitis A outbreak are becoming less and less common each year. Sager said although hepatitis A is not especially deadly, it will definitely ruin your week. "The good news is it comes and goes," Sayger said. Most patients recover fully from the symptoms over time. 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