Vancouver restaurant hepatitis A advisory

VANCOUVER, BC – Vancouver Coastal Health is advising the public that a food handler working at a Vancouver restaurant has been diagnosed with hepatitis A.

The restaurant is Minerva Pizza and Steak House, 2411 West 41st Avenue. The risk that clients of this restaurant could contact hepatitis A is low.

However, those who ate some appetizers, salads, pasta, fish or seafood at Minerva Pizza and Steak House between June 24 and July 5, or on July 10, 12 or 13, should watch for symptoms of hepatitis A for seven weeks after their visit to the restaurant.

Specifically, those who ate the following should watch for hepatitis A symptoms:

• caesar salad
• hummus and pita appetizer
• tzatziki and pita appetizer
• tortellini
• fettucini alfredo
• penne alla Toscana
• linguini marinara
• linguini with garlic prawns
• ravioli
• pan fried filet of sole
• garlic prawns
• calamari dinner and appetizer

Hepatitis A is a viral illness that affects the liver. Symptoms include: nausea, loss of appetite, vomiting, fatigue, fever, abdominal pain, dark urine, pale stools, and jaundice.

If infected by exposure at this restaurant, individuals might develop symptoms between July 8 and September 1. So far, there have been no reported cases of hepatitis A related to this event.

Those who do develop symptoms of hepatitis should contact their family physician or walk-in clinic right away.

Hepatitis A vaccine, if given within two weeks following exposure, can prevent infection. In this case, more than two weeks have passed since the last time the ill food handler worked, so vaccine is not useful.

Illness can last for several weeks but almost all recover completely. Rarely, hepatitis A may be more serious or life threatening in older adults or those who already have chronic liver disease.

Hepatitis A virus is spread by food or water contaminated by an infected person. Symptoms usually take a month to show up, but may occur as early as two weeks or as long as seven weeks after exposure.

For health related questions or concerns, call HealthLink BC at 8-1-1 or visit www.healthlinkbc.ca, 24 hours a day/seven days a week.

CONTACTAnna Marie D’Angelo
Senior Public Affairs Officer, Vancouver Coastal Health
Phone: 604-708-5340, after-hour media calls: contact our media pager at 604-686-9983

Email: annamarie.dangelo@VCH.ca