Since April of this year, the New Mexico Department of Health has been investigating two Albuquerque IHop restaurants after two food servers were diagnosed with hepatitis A.  The servers at two separate International House of Pancakes – IHop - restaurants in northeast Albuquerque have been diagnosed with hepatitis A, the department said Tuesday.  One of the servers became sick on March 24, the other on April 19.  Two other cases of hepatitis A have been linked to at least one of the servers, state health officials said.

The department is trying to identify people who might have been exposed to the disease so that they can be vaccinated or receive medication to prevent new cases.  Health officials are urging anyone who ate at the restaurants between March 22 and April 21 and are now sick to contact their health care providers.

Symptoms of hepatitis A include fever, abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, dark-colored urine and jaundice, which can turn skin yellow.  The average time between exposure and symptoms is 28 to 30 days, with a range of 15 to 50 days.

I have had the honor to represent thousands of people in the following hepatitis A outbreaks:

* Carl’s Jr. Hepatitis A Outbreak - Washington
* Chi-Chi’s Hepatitis A Outbreak - Pennsylvania
* Chipotle Grill Hepatitis A - San Diego
* D’Angelo’s Deli Hepatitis A Outbreak - Massachusetts
* Friendly’s Hepatitis A Exposure - Massachusetts
* Houlihan’s Hepatitis A Exposure - Illinois
* Maple Lawn Dairy Hepatitis A Outbreak - New York
* McDonald’s Hepatitis A Outbreak - Washington
* Quizno’s Hepatitis A Exposure - Massachusetts
* Soleil Produce Hepatitis A Outbreak - California
* Subway Hepatitis A Outbreak - Washington
* Taco Bell Hepatitis A Outbreak - Florida