Health officials warn of hepatitis A exposure at LA County Buffalo Wild Wings
LOS ANGELES COUNTY, Calif. - Los Angeles County health officials are warning of potential exposure to hepatitis A at a Buffalo Wild Wings restaurant in the area.
The department said it's investigating a report that an employee at the Monterey Park location on Market Place tested positive for the virus.
So far though, the department hasn't received any reports of additional cases.
Because of the employee's job and symptoms, the LA County Department of Public Health is recommending that anyone who ate or drank at the restaurant between Nov. 13 and Nov. 22 should get the hepatitis A vaccine, if they haven't already, and to monitor for symptoms.
The exterior of a Buffalo Wild Wings restaurant. (Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images) INSERT: Hepatitis A virus (picornavirus). (Photo by: CAVALLINI JAMES/BSIP/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
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Hepatitis A is an infection of the liver, according to the department, and is highly contagious. Those who are infected can be sick for a few weeks or up to a few months; the virus can also be fatal in rare cases. The virus typically spreads when people ingest it through food with small amounts of stool from an infected person.
Officials recommended those who ate at the restaurant recently monitor for hepatitis A symptoms, which include fever, weakness, nausea, loss of appetite, jaundice, vomiting, stomach pain, diarrhea and more. More information can be found on the LA County Public Health website by tapping or clicking here.