Health & Medicine
High-End New York Restaurant Exposes 450 Customers to Hepatitis A
SWR Staff Writer
First Posted: Apr 06, 2013 02:38 PM EDT
What's the last thing one would expect to get from a mouth-watering desert from a high-end restaurant? Hepatitis A, well, any sort of infectious disease for the matter. New York City Health Department officials warned Friday evening that any diners who ate dessert at the trendy tapas Alta Restaurant in the West Village between March 23 and April 2 may have contracted Hepatitis A from an infected food handler.
According to The New York Post, about 3,000 people might have visited the restaurant during that period, and about 15 percent of people ate dessert. That means approximately 450 people were exposed to hepatitis A, which got into the restaurant via an employee in the pastry kitchen.
Health officials are urging restaurant patrons to get the vaccination as a precautionary measure. The New York City Department of Health will offer free Hepatitis A vaccinations to patrons Saturday through Monday at the Chelsea Health Center.
"We are asking these restaurant patrons to get this vaccination as a precautionary measure," Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley said in a statement. "If people experience symptoms, they should see a doctor immediately. This incident serves as an important reminder to always wash your hands thoroughly to prevent the spread of disease."
The Hepatitis A was transmitted from a food handler who hadn't washed her hands. "That employee traveled to Mexico and was infected with hepatitis A," Alta manager Manny Solano said. "We are working closely with the Health Department to ensure the safety of our customers and our employees as well."
The infected woman has been fired and as yet no cases of hepatitis A have been reported to have come out of the restaurant, which still displays an "A" grade from the health department.
Meanwhile, the restaurant remains open for business.
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First Posted: Apr 06, 2013 02:38 PM EDT
What's the last thing one would expect to get from a mouth-watering desert from a high-end restaurant? Hepatitis A, well, any sort of infectious disease for the matter. New York City Health Department officials warned Friday evening that any diners who ate dessert at the trendy tapas Alta Restaurant in the West Village between March 23 and April 2 may have contracted Hepatitis A from an infected food handler.
According to The New York Post, about 3,000 people might have visited the restaurant during that period, and about 15 percent of people ate dessert. That means approximately 450 people were exposed to hepatitis A, which got into the restaurant via an employee in the pastry kitchen.
Health officials are urging restaurant patrons to get the vaccination as a precautionary measure. The New York City Department of Health will offer free Hepatitis A vaccinations to patrons Saturday through Monday at the Chelsea Health Center.
"We are asking these restaurant patrons to get this vaccination as a precautionary measure," Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley said in a statement. "If people experience symptoms, they should see a doctor immediately. This incident serves as an important reminder to always wash your hands thoroughly to prevent the spread of disease."
The Hepatitis A was transmitted from a food handler who hadn't washed her hands. "That employee traveled to Mexico and was infected with hepatitis A," Alta manager Manny Solano said. "We are working closely with the Health Department to ensure the safety of our customers and our employees as well."
The infected woman has been fired and as yet no cases of hepatitis A have been reported to have come out of the restaurant, which still displays an "A" grade from the health department.
Meanwhile, the restaurant remains open for business.
See Now: NASA's Juno Spacecraft's Rendezvous With Jupiter's Mammoth Cyclone