SOMERVILLE, N.J. (WCBS 880) — A deli employee at a ShopRite in Somerset County who had Hepatitis A may have exposed shoppers to the virus.
Health officials say anyone who ate anything from the Somerville store's deli between Oct. 13 and 30, and was not previously inoculated against Hepatitis A, should get the vaccine as soon as possible, but no later than Nov. 13, 2019.
The same goes for anyone who used the supermarket's restroom during those days.
Food purchased from the deli during that time period should be thrown away.
Hepatitis A is a disease of the liver caused by a virus. It is rare and highly contagious.
The state health department says 533 people had been diagnosed with Hepatitis a in New Jersey since last December. Hepatitis A can be spread through food and water, but Dr. Sue Wong, a hepatitis specialist at RWHJBarnabas Health, notes vaccines can help.
“It’s two doses over six months of time and that provides immunity,” she says.
She says patients who have ever had the virus end up becoming immune to it afterwards.
While the illness can go away in a few days, it can be very dangerous for those with a weaker immune system if they do not have a vaccine.
“I don't think people should stop going to delis and restaurant but, obviously, people who work there need to be a lot more vigilant about wash their hands,” Dr. Wong said.
Symptoms of Hepatitis A can appear three to four weeks after infection. They include diarrhea, vomiting, fever, fatigue and poor appetite.
For more information on the virus, see the New Jersey Department of Health’s fact sheet.