Employee with Hepatitis A detected at Clearwater Dairy Queen | iNFOnews | Thompson-Okanagan's News Source
Subscribe

Would you like to subscribe to our newsletter?

Current Conditions Mostly Cloudy  4.2°C

Vernon News

Employee with Hepatitis A detected at Clearwater Dairy Queen

PUBLIC HEALTH ALERT ISSUED

CLEARWATER – Anyone who's eaten at the Clearwater Dairy Queen during an almost two week period this month may have been exposed to Hepatitis A.

The Interior Health Authority released a public health alert today, Dec. 23, that states a clinical case of Hepatitis A has been identified in a food handler at the Clearwater fast food restaurant at 318 Eden Rd.

Hepatitis A is a disease that affects the liver and is caused by the Hepatitis A virus, Interior Health says. The virus is found in the bowel movements of infected people and can be spread through close personal contact or through contaminated food.

Interior Health says there is a low but definite risk to anyone who ate at the Clearwater Dairy Queen during the times the food handler was working.

The food handler was working on the following days and times:

  • Thursday, Dec. 8 from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. 
  • Friday, Dec. 9 from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.  
  • Saturday, Dec. 10 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.    
  • Sunday, Dec. 11 from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.  
  • Thursday, Dec. 15 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
  • Friday, Dec. 16 from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.
  • Saturday, Dec. 17 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
  • Sunday, Dec. 18 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Avaccine can prevent the disease if it's given within 14 days of exposure, the release states.

“We are advising anyone who may have been exposed to take the precaution of getting immunized,” Medical health officer Dr. Sue Pollock says in the release. “Hepatitis A is a serious infection and immunization is a proven and safe means of preventing illness.”

Interior Health has set up vaccination clinics in Clearwater and Kamloops.

Dr. Helmcken Memorial Hospital in Clearwater:

  • Friday, Dec. 23, 1to 3 p.m.
  • Saturday, Dec. 24  9 a.m. to noon 
  • Monday, Dec. 26, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
  • Tuesday, Dec. 27, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The Public Health Unit in Kamloops, 519 Columbia St.:

  • Friday, Dec. 23, 1to 3 p.m.
  • Saturday, Dec. 24, 9 a.m. to 12:20 p.m.

The public can get the vaccine at the Dr. Helmcken Memorial Hospital ER in Clearwater or at the Royal Inland Hospital ER outside the listed clinic dates until Wednesday, Dec. 28. After Dec. 28, you must contact your local health unit to get vaccinated.

Interior Health says the Dairy Queen is being fully cooperative and health officers will work with the operator to ensure full cleaning and disinfection measures are taken, adding there is no ongoing risk to customers.


To contact a reporter for this story, email Kim Anderson or email the editor. You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.

We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above. 

News from © iNFOnews, 2016
iNFOnews

  • Popular kamloops News
View Site in: Desktop | Mobile