PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Montgomery County officials are expanding their probe into a hepatitis A outbreak by temporarily closing the restaurant at the center of the investigation.
The Montgomery County Office of Public Health has closed Gino’s Ristorante & Pizzeria in West Norriton until further notice. The Pennsylvania Health Department had not named the restaurant up until now.
One person has died from the outbreak, officials say, and another death is being investigated as a possible connection to the outbreak.
The county says the source of the outbreak remains under investigation.
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County officials said after the Pennsylvania Department of Health put out a bulletin earlier this week, they learned of additional cases. There are now 11 total cases under investigation, nine of which are confirmed. Of the nine confirmed cases, seven people were hospitalized.
A statement provided by the restaurant’s lawyer dismissed the “unfounded rumor,” and while they “offer heartfelt condolences to the family of the departed,” they “cannot and will not take responsibility for something we did not cause.”
The statement adds: “The Montgomery County and Pennsylvania Health Departments have inspected our restaurant and found no evidence of any airborne or transmittable disease; approved the cleanliness of our facility; approved our refrigeration and hot water temperatures and did not cite us or our suppliers for any violation in connection with their investigation. None of our staff has been ill; we have followed all COVID protocols; and none of our customers have contacted us about any food issues.”
Gino’s Ristorante & Pizzeria has been in business for more than 50 years, its lawyer said, 15 of which at its West Norriton location.
Hepatitis A is a highly contagious liver infection with symptoms that include jaundice, abdominal pain and nausea. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, hepatitis A can be spread by close contact with someone who is infected, but more often it’s spread when someone drinks or eats something contaminated by fecal matter from someone who is infected.
The CDC says most people recover from hepatitis A on their own, but in rare cases, it can cause liver failure and death.
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