Alberta agency issues alert: Okotoks food services worker found to have hepatitis A

OKOTOKS, Alta. – Alberta Health Services is issuing a public alert after a food handler at a Safeway in Okotoks was found to have hepatitis A.

The public health agency is warning that patrons who ate donuts from the bulk bins at the store between Dec. 1 and 21, 2017, may have been exposed to the virus.

The medical officer of health for the region, Dr. David Strong, says in a written statement that the risk of infection is low, but anyone who ate the donuts should watch out for symptoms and notify the agency by calling its 24-hour phone line, Health Link, if they occur.

Hepatitis A is a viral liver infection with symptoms that include tiredness, poor appetite, nausea and vomiting, abdominal pain and fever.

The agency says illness can occur within 15 to 50 days after exposure to hepatitis A, adding that getting immunized after the fact can still be effective if done within two weeks of exposure.

It says there’s no ongoing risk of infection at the Safeway location, as it’s been cleaned, inspected and found to be safe to operate.

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