Possible hepatitis A exposure reported at Kensington Meltwich: AHS

Alberta Health Services says anybody who ate or drank at the Meltwich restaurant in Kensington this month may have been exposed to hepatitis A.

Anyone who ate at the Meltwich restaurant in Kensington this month may have been exposed to hepatitis A.

In a Thursday news release, Alberta Health Services (AHS) said a person who prepared food at the restaurant, located at 405, 10 St. N.W., was working while infectious with a confirmed case of hepatitis A.

AHS warns that anyone who consumed food or beverages from the restaurant between Feb. 2-19 may have been exposed to the virus.

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“Hepatitis A is an infection of the liver caused by a virus,” AHS said in a Thursday news release.

“Spread through the fecal-oral route, individuals primarily contract hepatitis A through direct contact with an infected person; however, individuals can also contract the illness indirectly by ingestion of contaminated food or water.”

Anyone who ate at the restaurant between Feb 6-19 may be eligible for post-exposure immunization and can call Health Link at 1-866-301-2668 for assessment.

AHS said post-exposure immunization can only be provided within 14 days of exposure.

“The single dose of vaccine provided at the clinic is sufficient to protect a potentially affected individual from this hepatitis A exposure,” AHS said.

However, anyone who ate at the restaurant between Feb. 2-5 is no longer eligible for post-exposure immunization.

The health authority recommends those individuals watch for symptoms for 50 days after potential exposure and contact their doctor if symptoms develop.

“This is a virus where there is really no need to panic. We do have an effective vaccine for those that may have been exposed, but it is something to take serious. It’s nothing to raise alarms over, but it is something to absolutely encourage people to talk to their doctor if they think they have been exposed,” said Dr. Craig Jenne, an infectious disease specialist at the Cumming School of Medicine at the University of Calgary.

Jenne said the virus will resolve on its own for most people but can be a serious concern for others.

“Some people will get mild symptoms and even those who have slightly more symptoms, in most cases, this will go on its own. It could be a rough period of time, but the real risk is some individuals with underlying health conditions can get severe liver disease, resulting in even liver failure or liver shutdown. Those are the ones we really need to avoid.”

Hepatitis A symptoms can include tiredness, poor appetite, nausea and vomiting, abdominal pain and fever, followed by dark-coloured urine, light-coloured stools and yellowing of eyes and skin several days later.

Some people, such as young children, can become infected with hepatitis A without noticing any symptoms but still be infectious to others.