WASHINGTON, Mo. (KMOX) — Franklin County health officials are taking action after an employee at a Bob Evans restaurant in Washington was diagnosed with hepatitis A.
Hepatitis A is a highly contagious viral infection of the liver, according to the Missouri Department of Health & Senior Services.
The worker was infected while working shifts at the eatery on Phoenix Center Drive from Aug. 3 though Aug. 10, according to a Facebook post from the Franklin County Health Department.
Health officials are encouraging anyone who ate at the restaurant between Aug. 3 and 12 should get a hep-A vaccination as a precaution.
The county health department will host free mass vaccination clinics from 1-4 p.m. Friday, Aug. 16; 8 a.m.-noon Saturday, Aug. 17; 1-4 p.m. Friday, Aug. 23, at 414 E. Main St., Union, Mo. 63084.
If you ate at the restaruant during the time period, health officials are also asking you to:
- Monitor health for symptoms of hepatitis A infection up to 50 days after exposure
- Wash hands with soap and warm water frequently and thoroughly, especially after using the bathroom and before preparing food
- Stay at home and contact your health care provider immediately if symptoms of hepatitis A infection develop
As of Aug. 13, the state of Missouri has recorded 406 cases of hepatitis A — 66 of those in Franklin County.
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