Huntsville restaurant 'passed all standards' after staffer diagnosed with Hepatitis-A

Community rallies around family-owned restaurant Huntsville family-owned restaurant receives community support amid Hep-A cases. CTV's Mike Arsalides reports.

Barrie — The local health unit says there has been an increase in individuals with Hepatitis A in the Muskoka region.

The most recent case is a woman who was working at a family-owned restaurant in Huntsville on certain dates between February 19 and March 7.

Dr. Colin Lee, associate medical officer of health with the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit (SMDHU) tells CTV News, “We don’t really know how, specifically, it has spread.”

While telling CTV News that they believe the risk of transmission is low, still, Dr. Lee recommends that as a precaution, people who were at the Family Place Restaurant and Pizza on King William Street monitor for signs and symptoms for 50 days. The Hepatitis A vaccine given within 14 days is an effective protection against liver disease.

Family Place Restaurant and Pizza owner Oliver Wolfe has confirmed that the employee is no longer working at the restaurant. "We don't know how she got it, but we know she didn't get it here. It was not found in our restaurant. It was found in one of our staff members."

"They certainly passed all the standards that are required for a restaurant to be opened," confirms Dr. Lee.

The health unit is currently investigating 13 reported cases of Hepatitis A over the last five months throughout the region. The first reported case was a man returning home from out of the country.

Health officials say Wolfe is working closely with the health unit and confirms this occurrence is not a direct reflection on the award-winning restaurant, adding the disease can happen at any time and in any place.

"They told us we are doing everything right, and there was no reason for us to shut down," Wolfe says.

Regular guests stand by their local eatery, confident in its safety.

"We were here the day the news was announced," says restaurant guest Elizabeth Rice. "We came for dinner... no concerns. This is probably the cleanest restaurant in town right now."

Click here to read the full SMDHU Hepatitis A Exposure release

Meanwhile, the SMDHU advises anyone who visited the restaurant or got take out during the following dates and times to get vaccinated.

Health officials say the vaccine is not effective more than 14 days after exposure to Hepatitis A, so anyone who visited the restaurant during the following times should monitor for symptoms.

Hep A is a liver disease that is most commonly spread by eating food prepared by an infected person, drinking unsafe water and being in an area with poor sanitation.

It can also be transferred through poor hand washing methods after using the toilet, changing a diaper or any interaction with fecal matter.

Anyone who wants to be vaccinated can do so for free at the Canada Summit Centre located at 20 Park Drive in Huntsville.

The centre will hold immunization clinics on the following days and times:

For more information, contact Health Connection at 721-7520 or 1-877-721-750 extension 5875.