Employee With Hepatitis A at Missouri Red Robin Restaurant Worked while Contagious

A Red Robin restaurant in Missouri may have exposed up to 5,000 people to the hepatitis A virus. An infected employee of the New Jersey-based restaurant chain in Springfield, MO worked while possibly contagious, health officials said.

The Springfield-Greene County Health Department deemed the restaurant safe following an inspection after the hepatitis A-infected employee worked on May 16. Red Robin notified those who ate at the restaurant between May 8 and May 16 to call the health department for further information on steps for examination.

"Upon being informed of the incident, the Springfield Red Robin took all safety measures to ensure the well being of our guests and team members including arranging the inoculation of all Springfield team members with the immune globulin prophylaxis shot," Red Robin Gourmet Burgers officials said in a statement, via this USA Today article.

Hepatitis A is a highly contagious liver infection that hinders the liver's ability to function. The most common way to contract the hepatitis A virus is through contaminated food or water as well as close contact with someone who has it. According to the World Health Organization, approximately 1.4 million people are diagnosed with hepatitis A each year, and the most effective ways to combat the disease are through improved sanitation and the hepatitis A vaccine.

As mentioned by Red Robin, all workers at the Springfield Red Robin have been inoculated with an immune globulin prophylaxis shot and the health department is receiving 4,000 doses of a hepatitis A vaccine and will run a two-day vaccination clinic for those who believe they were exposed to the virus. However, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say that the shot needs to be given within two weeks of exposure to hepatitis A in order to be fully effective.

Due to development of the vaccine, the prevalence of hepatitis A has been much less. Annual cases in the early 1990s reached 30,000, but the latest numbers from 2011 reported only 2,700 cases nationwide; an average of 28 per state. The good news for those possibly exposed to the virus at the Red Robin restaurant is that most cases of hepatitis A resolve themselves in a few weeks and do not cause permanent liver damage.

Nonetheless, those who were potentially exposed should continue to watch for symptoms. You can read more about hepatitis A and the Red Robin in Springfield, Missouri, in this CNN News article.