SARASOTA COUNTY, Fla. — If you ate at Beef 'O Brady's in North Port between Dec.7 and Dec. 20, the Florida Department of Health in Sarasota County is recommending that you get a hepatitis A vaccine.
The agency confirmed an employee at the restaurant at 1037 Sumpter Blvd. tested positive for the virus and may have been infectious.
Hepatitis A attacks the liver, and the health department says symptoms normally begin to appear about a month after someone is exposed. Once they do appear, the disease can’t be cured.
Symptoms include:
- Jaundice (yellowing skin and whites of eyes)
- Fever
- Diarrhea
- Fatigue/tired
- Loss of appetite
- Nausea and vomiting
- Stomach pain
- Dark-colored urine
- Pale or clay colored stool
Anyone who received the vaccination in the past – or previously contracted hepatitis A – is considered immune, according to the health department.
Everyone who meets the following criteria is being urged to get vaccinated.
- All children at the age of 12 months
- People who are experiencing homelessness
- Users of recreational drugs, whether injected or not
- Men who have sexual encounters with other men
- People with direct contact with others who have hepatitis-A
- Travelers to countries where hepatitis-A is common
- People with chronic/long-term liver disease, including hepatitis-B or hepatitis-C
- People with clotting-factor disorders
So, what can you do to avoid contracting hepatitis A? The health department says the getting the vaccine works best, but practicing good hygiene is also important. That means washing your hands with soap and water.
Hand sanitizers do not kill the virus.
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