EASTPORT, Maine — The Maine CDC on Thursday announced a case of acute hepatitis A in an Eastport grocery store employee and warned of possible exposure to customers.
According to the Maine CDC, the case was identified in a person who handled food while infected at the R&M IGA grocery store on Washington Street. The Maine CDC warned in a release that customers who were at the store between May 3 and May 20 may be at risk for infection, and recommends that deli food items bought on or between these dates should be thrown out or cooked thoroughly.
The Maine CDC also recommends that anyone who may have eaten food prepared in the deli or worked at the store from May 13 to May 22 get vaccinated against hepatitis A within 14 days of their potential exposure.
Anyone who ate food prepared at the store or worked there between May 3 and May 12 is asked to watch for symptoms and seek medical attention if they develop symptoms.
Dalton Young, a manager at the grocery store, told NEWS CENTER Maine the store was aware of the situation, but the owner was unavailable to be reached for further comment.
The Maine CDC explains that hepatitis A is a vaccine-preventable, contagious liver disease caused by the hepatitis A virus. Symptoms range from mild illness to severe sickness that requires hospitalization and can last several months. Most adults with hepatitis A have a sudden onset of symptoms such as tiredness, low appetite, stomach pain, nausea, dark urine, and jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes). Most children younger than 6 years old do not have symptoms or have an unrecognized infection.
Hepatitis A can be spread through contaminated food or water, especially in food prepared by a person who is infected, the Maine CDC said. Symptoms begin to show 15-50 days after exposure to the virus. An infected person can spread the virus to others approximately two weeks before symptoms start until one week after symptoms end.
Click here for more information on hepatitis A from the U.S. CDC.
