Erie County Executive Mark C. Poloncarz, Erie County Health Commissioner Dr. Gale Burstein and members of Erie County’s departments of Health and Emergency Services announced today that the Erie County Department of Health (ECDOH) has confirmed a case of hepatitis A in an individual who is employed as a food handler at two different locations in Erie County.

The individual worked at Al-e-oops Restaurant, 5389 Genesee St. in Lancaster, and Brookdale Williamsville Senior Living Community, 6076 Main St. in Williamsville.

Customers who consumed food (dine-in or takeout) prepared at Al-e-oops on the following dates: January 20 through January 23, 2018; January 27 through January 30, 2018 may have been exposed to hepatitis A.

Residents, staff and visitors who consumed food at Brookdale between the dates of January 16 through January 31, 2018 may have been exposed to hepatitis A.

“While we believe the risk to the public is low, hepatitis A is a serious infection,” says Dr. Gale Burstein, Erie County Commissioner of Health. “As a precaution, anyone who consumed food produced at Al-e-oops between January 20 and January 23, 2018 are advised to monitor themselves and their families for symptoms for 50 days since those products were consumed. The same goes for individuals who dined at Brookdale Williamsville Senior Living Community between the dates of January 16 and January 22, 2018.”

There is no ongoing risk of infection associated with either Al-e-oops or Brookdale. Both sites have been cleaned, inspected and approved as safe to operate by ECDOH Environmental Public Health Sanitarians or the NYS Department of Health.

Hepatitis A immunization provided after an exposure can often prevent illness from occurring, but only if it is provided within two weeks since the last exposure.

A free Hepatitis A immunization clinic will be held at Bowmansville Volunteer Fire Association, Station #1, 36 Main St., Bowmansville on Wednesday, February 7, 2018 from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Immunizations will be offered only to individuals who consumed food prepared at Al-e-oops on January 27, January 28, January 29 and January 30, 2018. Providing immunization to people who consumed food products purchased before those dates will not be effective.

Residents, visitors and staff at Brookdale Williamsville should contact the facility for more information about whether they should receive a Hepatitis A vaccination. The Erie County Department of Health and the New York State Department of Health are working with management at Brookdale to provide prophylaxis directly to residents, staff and visitors.

PERSONS WHO DINED IN & CONSUMED FOOD/DRINK FROM A-E-OOPS

--ONLY ON THE DATES BELOW--

ARE CANDIDATES FOR HEPATITIS A VACCINE OR IMMUNE GLOBULIN

SATURDAY JANUARY 27, 2018

SUNDAY JANUARY 28, 2018

MONDAY JANUARY 29, 2018

TUESDAY JANUARY 30, 2018

The Hepatitis A vaccine or immune globulin is only effective within two weeks of exposure to the virus. Patrons who ate in Al-e-oops restaurant on the specified dates (and have not been previously vaccinated against hepatitis A) should receive the hepatitis A vaccine or immune globulin as soon as possible.

POINT OF DISTRIBUTION CLINICS

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2018 3:00 PM– 8:00 PM

BOWMANSVILLE VOLUNTEER FIRE ASSOCIATION STATION #1

36 MAIN STREET, BOWMANSVILLE, NY 14026

PEP refers to trying to prevent or treat a disease after someone is exposed. Depending upon an individual’s age and health status, PEP with either hepatitis A vaccine or immune globulin is indicated. Hepatitis A vaccine is administered via an injection in the arm and immune globulin is generally administered into a large muscle mass such as the upper leg or hip area.

Hepatitis A is a viral infection of the liver. Hepatitis A appears only as an acute or a newly occurring infection and does not become a chronic disease. It can range in severity from a mild illness lasting a few weeks to a severe illness lasting several months. Hepatitis A is usually spread when a person ingests fecal matter – even in microscopic amounts – from contact with objects, food, or drinks contaminated by the feces, or stool, of an infected person. It can be spread by eating or drinking food or water contaminated with the virus.

Hepatitis A signs and symptoms typically do not appear until the individual has had the virus for a few weeks. These symptoms can be similar to those of a “flu-like” illness and may include fatigue, nausea and vomiting, loss of appetite, low-grade fever, abdominal pain or discomfort, dark urine, joint pain, clay-colored bowel movements, and yellowing of the skin and eyes (jaundice).

“The health risk to the citizens of Erie County is very low,” concluded Burstein. “We are taking these actions with an abundance of caution to ensure the public health safety of our residents.”

For more information:

Erie County Department of Health: www.erie.gov/health or call (716) 858-2929

New York State Department of Health: http://www.health.ny.gov/diseases/communicable/hepatitis/

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/A/aFAQ.htm

Vaccine Information Sheet: http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/hcp/vis/vis-statements/hep-a.html

Mayo Clinic: http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hepatitis-a/basics/definit...