A food handler working at two Edmonton International Airport restaurants has been diagnosed with hepatitis A, prompting an advisory for NWT travellers who consumed food or drink from those restaurants earlier this month.
Anyone who ate or drank at the following Edmonton Airport restaurants on the dates noted may have been infected with hepatitis A:
Belgian Beer Cafe
-Oct. 5 – 2 p.m.–9 p.m. MST
-Oct. 7 – 4:30 p.m.–12:30 a.m. MST
-Oct. 8 – 4:30 p.m.–12:30 a.m. MST
-Oct. 11 – 4:30 p.m.–12:30 a.m. MST
-Oct. 12 – 1 p.m.–8 p.m. MST
Boston Pizza
-Oct. 1 – 10 a.m.–6 p.m. MST
-Oct. 7 – 10 a.m.–4 p.m. MST
-Oct. 8 – 11: a.m–4 p.m. MST
The NWT’s chief public health officer is recommending that those who are not immunized or partially immunized against hepatitis A to go to local public health or their health centre
to assess their risk and receive an immunization.
It is preferable that people be checked within 14 days after an exposure to minimize their risk of contracting hepatitis A. However, others are still encouraged to seek advice beyond that time frame, according to the Office of the Chief Public Health Officer (OCPHO).
Anyone who believes they may have been exposed is also advised to monitor for symptoms of hepatitis A for up to 50 days after they last ate at either restaurant, as illness can occur from 15
to 50 days after exposure. Hepatitis A is an infection of the liver caused by a virus. Symptoms include tiredness, poor appetite, nausea and vomiting, abdominal pain, fever, dark-coloured urine, light-coloured stools and yellowing of eyes and skin.
Some people, especially young children, may get hepatitis A infection without noticing any symptoms; however, they are still infectious to others, the OCPHO noted.