Recent guests at a restaurant in Orlando are encouraged to get vaccinated after an employee of the restaurant was confirmed to have Hepatitis A. Vaccination within two weeks after contact could prevent the disease.

Restaurant Worker Tests Positive For Hepatitis A

In Orlando, Florida, health officials announced that a restaurant worker at Morimoto Asia in Disney Springs was confirmed to have hepatitis A. As such, anyone who dined at the restaurant between Nov. 6 and Nov.16 may have been exposed to the virus and thus need to be vaccinated immediately.

Anyone who visited the restaurant during those dates and experiences symptoms such as dark urine, abdominal discomfort, fever, diarrhea, and jaundice or the yellowing of the eyes and skin must go and see a doctor.

In a statement, the Patina Group, which operates Morimoto Asia, states that the well-being and safety of the customers remain to be its top priority, and that it is working closely with authorities to make sure that both the guests and the employees are protected.

Hepatitis A In Orlando

Just this past October, the Florida Department of Health in Orange County released a statement encouraging prevention and vaccination for hepatitis A due to the spike in cases in the county. This year alone, there were 45 confirmed cases of locally acquired hepatitis A as of Oct. 22, which is a 3,000 percent increase compared to the 5-year average of just 1.4 cases per year.

In addition, majority of the reported hepatitis A cases in Orange County in the past five years were contracted during international travel, but 85 percent of the cases this year were contracted from inside the United States, most of which from within Orange County itself.

“This is the highest number we’ve seen since 2003,” the agency stated.

Hepatitis A

Hepatitis A virus affects the liver and may be contracted through the consumption of contaminated food or water, through person-to-person fecal-oral route, or through close and continuous contact with an infected person. It is a limited disease that does not cause a chronic infection and typically gets resolved within two months.

Proper hand washing with soap and water is key in preventing contracting hepatitis A, but vaccination remains to be the best protection, especially for those who are more at risk.