October 8, 2019
CONTACT: Kara Kane 
Email: kara.kane@erie.gov  
Phone: (716) 858-4941

ERIE COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH CONFIRMS CASE OF HEPATITIS A IN LOCAL RESTAURANT EMPLOYEE

Diners who dined at Ang’s Family Restaurant at Clinton & Bailey in Buffalo between September 12 and September 27 may have been exposed to the  Hepatitis A virus

ERIE COUNTY, NY— The Erie County Department of Health (ECDOH) has confirmed a new case of hepatitis A virus in a local restaurant worker. ECDOH was notified on Monday, October 7, 2019 that a food handler who works at Ang’s Family Restaurant was diagnosed with the hepatitis A virus and immediately initiated an investigation.

ECDOH is advising anyone who consumed food or drinks from Ang’s Family Restaurant, also known as Ang’s Lunch Wagon (1501 Clinton Street, Buffalo, NY 14206), between Tuesday, September 24, 2019 and Friday, September 27, 2019 to receive hepatitis A vaccine at a clinic to be held at Ang’s Family Restaurant on:

When:      Wednesday, October 9, 2019 from 7:30 a.m. – 10 a.m.

Where:    Ang’s Family Restaurant, 1501 Clinton Street, Buffalo, NY 14206

This vaccine will prevent potentially exposed individuals from developing a hepatitis A infection for individuals who consumed foods or drinks from Ang’s Family Restaurant during that four-day period between September 24 and September 27.

ECDOH is further advising anyone who consumed food or drinks from this restaurant between Thursday, September 12 and Monday, September 23 to monitor their health for symptoms of hepatitis A. The post-exposure vaccine would not be effective for those patrons at this point.

Anyone who develops symptoms suggestive of hepatitis A virus should seek medical evaluation from a health care professional.

Ang’s Family Restaurant management has been notified of potential hepatitis A exposure, and is cooperating with ECDOH staff to provide vaccine to unvaccinated employees. ECDOH Environmental Health sanitarians are inspecting the restaurant on October 8 and will conduct additional inspections over the coming weeks.

“This is the third case of hepatitis A in a restaurant worker that our department has handled this year,” said Erie County Commissioner of Health Dr. Gale Burstein. “We coordinated this vaccination clinic with the cooperation of the restaurant owner and hope that their patrons are able to receive this safe and effective vaccine at our clinic on Wednesday morning.”

“As of today, we have confirmed 32 hepatitis A cases in Erie County, which matches what we saw in 2018. In the three years before that, we saw between two and four new cases each year,” she continued. “This is a contagious disease and we strongly encourage all Erie County residents, including people who work in food service or restaurants, to complete the hepatitis A vaccine series. Primary care providers, occupational health care clinics and travel immunization clinics are able to provide this vaccine.”

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For more information:

Erie County Department of Health, Hepatitis A: http://www.erie.gov/HepA

Erie County Department of Health: http://www.erie.gov/health

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Hepatitis A: https://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/hav/index.htm

Facts about Hepatitis A:

Hepatitis A is a vaccine-preventable disease of the liver caused by the hepatitis A virus. It is transmitted person-to-person through the fecal-oral route or consumption of contaminated food or water. Hepatitis A spreads when a person unknowingly ingests the virus from food or drinks, or other objects that are contaminated by small, undetected amounts of stool from an infected person. This can happen from eating at a restaurant, sharing food or drink, or eating when traveling in one of the many countries outside the United States with a high hepatitis A infection rate.

Hepatitis A virus can cause illness ranging from no symptoms at all, to a mild illness lasting a few weeks, to a severe illness lasting several months. Although rare, hepatitis A can cause death in some people.

Symptoms of hepatitis A virus can include:

• Fever
• Fatigue
• Loss of appetite
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Abdominal pain
• Dark urine
• Clay-colored stools
• Joint pain
• Jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes)

People who are most at risk of hepatitis A include:     

• People with direct contact with someone who has a hepatitis A infection. This can occur up to 2 weeks before the infected person develops symptoms, so you may not be aware of your exposure at the time.
• Travelers to countries where hepatitis A is common, which include most countries outside the United States. More information is available on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s web site. [https://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/hav/index.htm]
• Men who have sex with men.
• People who use drugs, both injection and non-injection drugs.
• Homeless individuals.

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