BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Erie County officials are urging anyone who recently ate at Destiny's on Fillmore in Buffalo to be vaccinated for Hepatitis A after the virus was identified in a worker at the restaurant.
According to Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz, anyone who at as a dine-in or takeout customer between February 27, 2019 and March 11, 2019 is eligible to recieve a free Hepatitis A vaccine provided by the Erie County Department of Health. The vaccine clinics will be held on March 13 and March 14, from 3 pm to 8pm, at the Elim Christian Fellowship located at 70 Chalmers Avenue in Buffalo.
Officials say people who ate at the restaurant between February 9 and February 26 may have been exposed but will "not benefit from Hepatitis A vaccine to prevent infection from this exposure." Everyone is encouraged to monitor their health for symptoms for 50 days after consuming food from the establishment.
The Erie County Department of Health has provided the following information on Hepatitis A.
Symptoms of Hepatitis A can include:
• Fever
• Fatigue
• Loss of appetite
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Abdominal pain
• Dark urine
• Clay-colored stools
• Joint pain
• Jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes)
For more information:
- About the Erie County Health Department
- About Hepatitis A
Facts about Hepatitis A:
• Hepatitis A is a highly contagious liver infection caused by the hepatitis A virus. It can range from no symptoms at all, to a mild illness lasting a few weeks, to a severe illness lasting several months. Although rare, hepatitis A can cause death in some people.
• Hepatitis A usually spreads when a person unknowingly ingests the virus from objects, food, or drinks contaminated by small, undetected amounts of stool from an infected person. This can happen from eating at a restaurant, sharing food or drink, or eating when traveling in one of the many countries outside the United States with a high Hepatitis A infection rate.
• People who are most at risk of Hepatitis A include:
- People with direct contact with someone who has a hepatitis A infection. This can occur up to 2 weeks before the infected person develops any symptoms, so you may not be aware of your exposure at the time.
- Travelers to countries where hepatitis A is common, which include most countries outside the United States. More information is available on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s web site.
- Men who have sexual contact with men,
- People who use drugs, both injection and non-injection drugs, and
- Homeless individuals
