Hepatitis A confirmed in worker at a Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant in NC county
The highly contagious Hepatitis A virus has been confirmed in a worker at a Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant in North Carolina, health officials said late Friday.
The state alerted Caldwell County late Friday afternoon about a confirmed case at the KFC location in Hudson, according to a news release by the county’s health department.
Transmission to customers and others is unlikely, county health officials said, citing state guidelines. So vaccination isn’t recommended, officials said.
According to the Mayo Clinic, hepatitis A “is a highly contagious liver infection caused by the hepatitis A virus.”
The virus can be contracted through contaminated food or water and close contact with someone infected by hepatitis A, according to the clinic.
“Most people who are infected recover completely with no permanent liver damage,” according to the Mayo Clinic website.
In Friday’s news release, Caldwell County Public Health Director Anna Martin said her department is working closely with the restaurant, state and federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention “to ensure the health and safety of our community.”
The worker is being treated, and people who came in close contact with the patient “have been notified,” according to the release.
A large hepatitis A outbreak is occurring nationwide, and everyone should check to see if they’re vaccinated, county health officials said. They can all their local health department to get vaccinated.
From late March through late September, North Carolina reported 387 hepatitis A cases, including a large outbreak of 80 cases in Gaston County.
Last summer, the state alerted diners at a Waffle House in Concord after a worker contracted the virus, The Charlotte Observer reported at the time.