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UPDATE 11/23/10 @ 5:50ASHLAND, Ky (WSAZ) — a confirmed case of Hepatitis a has showed up at a local restaurant.

A drive-through worker at an Ashland Burger King was recently diagnosed with the virus. while the local health department considers this a low-risk case, they still have a duty to inform the public.

The case turned up at the Burger King in the 1200 block of Winchester Avenue, just across from the Ohio River bridge. According to the Ashland-Boyd County Health Department, the infected employee strictly worked the drive-through window and had no contact with food.

“They were not a food handler. they just handed the food out the window. they occasionally prepared drinks. so, it’s not a no-risk situation, but is a low-risk situation,” said Kristy Bolen, a senior regional epidemiologist.

The time frame of concern is the week of November 7 and on November 15 and 17. Bolen says the chance of the virus being passed to customers is slim.

“This may sound a little gross, but it’s passed fecal to oral,” Bolen said. “The person has to go to the bathroom and not wash their hands and then they touch something that you put in your mouth.”

“You can’t worry too much about it. there are some places I won’t eat because they don’t look clean,” said Belinda Richardson, a Burger King customer.

In a statement, the Burger King Corporation said after confirmation of this case, the employees at this location were given the Hepatitis a vaccine as a precaution, and proper food safety and hand washing continue to be stressed.

“We want people that have symptoms of jaundice, nausea, vomiting and dark urine to see their doctor,” Bolen said. “We’re mainly concerned about drive-through customers who visited the restaurant several times. they would be at the greatest risk. Those folks may want to visit their doctor or stop by the health department for more information.”

This is the fifth case of Hepatitis a confirmed in Boyd County this month. this employee is not the source. Bolen says all of the recent cases are linked through close contact. two of them are children.

The infected employee is currently not working at Burger King, pending a full recovery from the virus.

WSAZ.com’s Bill Murray did a story about four confirmed Hepatitis a cases in Cabell County, W.Va. from what he was told, health investigators don’t believe they’re connected with the Ashland case.

UPDATE 11/23/10 @12:10 ASHLAND, Ky. (WSAZ) — the Ashland-Boyd County Health Department says a worker at the Burger King on Winchester Avenue has been diagnosed with Hepatitis a.

They say that employee worked the drive-thru window during the week of November 7 and the dates of November 15 and 17. the employee’s contact with patrons was limited to the drive-thru window, so patrons who ate inside the restaurant were not at risk of exposure. since the employee was not involved in food preparation, the risk of becoming ill is low.

The employee was a close contact of a previously identified case of Hepatitis a. so far all of the cases in Boyd County are linked to close contacts of earlier cases. No cases associated only with consuming food items from the restaurant have been identified as of Tuesday, November 23.

According to a press release, persons who went through the drive-thru multiple times during the given time frame or have low immunity would be at greatest risk, even though transmission through food service workers is rare since hand washing among food service workers is regularly emphasized.

Co-workers of the case have received the vaccine and are safe to work with food at this time. the restaurant management has been working with the health department collaboratively on the investigation.

The Health Department says customers who may have eaten products from the drive-thru during the time frame mentioned above should contact their primary care physician especially if they are having symptoms such as nausea, vomiting or dark urine.

Burger King Corporate Communications released a statement saying the franchisee has informed Burger King Corporate that the employee is not currently working at the restaurant.

The franchisee is working closely with the Boyd County Public Health Department to ensure the ongoing safety of its crew members and guests. In an abundance of caution, the employees were immunized on Monday by the Health Department.

At this point, there have been no other reported cases of the illness at this location

They also say that food safety is a priority at Burger King and there are strict food handling policies and procedures in place that all crew members are required to follow.

11/19/10 ASHLAND, Ky (WSAZ) –The Ashland-Boyd County Health Department is investigating two new cases of Hepatitis a in the community.

This case brings the total number of cases of Hepatitis a in the community to five, according to a news release.

Three of the cases are close contacts of one of the cases.

The health department is continuing the investigation to determine a possible source of the infections.

11/18/10ASHLAND, Ky. (WSAZ) — the Ashland-Boyd County Health Department is investigating three cases of Hepatitis a in the community. Hepatitis a is caused by a virus that is passed person to person through fecal-oral contact. unlike Hepatitis B and C, Hepatitis is not passed through contact with blood.

Hepatitis a can be spread when: an infected person does not wash his or her hands properly after going to the bathroom and then touches objects or food; a caregiver does not properly wash his or her hands after changing diapers or cleaning up the stool of an infected person; someone engages in certain sexual activities. Hepatitis a can also be spread through food or water through an ill food handler or by using contaminated items.

Symptoms of infection usually appear 2 to 6 weeks after exposure and can include: fever, jaundice, grey-colored stools, dark urine, abdominal pain, vomiting, fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea and joint pain. some people, especially children, may have no symptoms. this is why proper handwashing is critical. Symptoms usually resolve in 2 months but can last as long as 6 months. there is no treatment for Hepatitis a and some people require hospitalization. if you have these symptoms you should contact your primary care provider for testing.

Hepatitis a can be prevented by receiving the Hepatitis a vaccination. this vaccination is available to anyone 12 months of age or older and is given in two doses six months apart. everyone is also reminded that handwashing is the best way to prevent infection. Handwashing should be emphasized especially after using the bathroom, changing a diaper or preparing and eating food.

Latest Comments

Posted by: fast food on Nov 25, 2010 at 05:02 PM People should wash their hands, often. Those who touch your food should also wear clean gloves and change them very often. it would also be nice if they wore face masks and hair/bread nets. I will not buy food in a dinner where they do not at least wear gloves. Posted by: Suzanne on Nov 24, 2010 at 08:18 PM I hate seeing a sign in a food establishment rest-room that says “Employees must wash their hands before returning to work”. who monitors them to see if they do? I think when they come back from break or whatever, that there should be a sink behind the counter where they should wash their hands thoroughly in full view of customers. Posted by: sum1 on Nov 24, 2010 at 06:17 PM more people should eat in