Erie-area Cracker Barrel worker diagnosed with Hepatitis A. What should customers know?
A food-handling worker at a Summit Township restaurant has been diagnosed with Hepatitis A, a contagious liver disease that can spread by eating contaminated food.
The employee works at Cracker Barrel, 7810 Interstate Drive. The employee's last day was Wednesday, and Erie County Department of Health officials are asking customers who consumed the restaurant's food between Jan. 30 and Wednesday to watch for symptoms.
"Those symptoms include nausea, vomiting and diarrhea," said Colleen Wallace, R.N., a communicable diseases nursing supervisor for the county Health Department. "If you have prolonged symptoms, please contact your doctor."
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How common is Hepatitis A in Erie?
County health officials believe it is the first local case of Hepatitis A in a restaurant worker in more than 12 years, though the county averages about one Hepatitis A case overall each year.
The patient's medical condition was not available due to privacy laws.
The county Health Department performed a partial health inspection of Cracker Barrel Thursday evening, said Breanna Adams, the department's director of environmental health services. The restaurant remains open, and safeguards have been put into place to prevent additional cases.
"Any employees who would be in their infectious period or have tested positive would be restricted from working in the restaurant," Adams said. "The restaurant has been doing a really great job of cooperating and complying with all of their corporate guidelines, as well as the (Pennsylvania) Food Code guidelines."
What if you were there recently?
Customers who ate at Cracker Barrel, or received takeout food, between Feb. 10-21 are urged to get a Hepatitis A vaccine as soon as possible, said Erin Mrenak, county Health Department director.
There is a limited supply of Hepatitis A vaccines in the county, but the department is working to obtain additional doses.
"Hepatitis A has a lower risk of spreading through food than person-to-person contact," Mrenak said. "It does take about two weeks to incubate before initial symptoms develop. If you start noticing symptoms, please seek medical treatment."
Most people who develop Hepatitis A recover fully even if they are untreated, but it can cause liver failure and death in rare cases — especially in older people and those with chronic liver diseases.
Contact David Bruce at dbruce@timesnews.com. Follow him on X @ETNBruce.
This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Summit Township Cracker Barrel employee diagnosed with Hepatitis A
