In an all too common warning, Marisa Lagos of the San Fransisco Chronicle, warns customers at a San Jose Jamba Juice to seek medical attention. This all could have been avoided if Jamba Juice had required all employees to have Hepatitis A shots, BEFORE they worked.
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Customers at a Jamba Juice in San Jose may have been exposed to Hepatitis A this month, health officials said today. A food handler at the smoothie franchise’s store at 1140 Lincoln Ave. tested positive for the disease and was infectious for 12 days this month while working, officials said. The employee worked Aug. 1-3, 6-9 and 11-16.
People who have been vaccinated for Hepatitis A or have had the illness in the past are not at risk of infection. Santa Clara County health officials said the risk that customers had been exposed was small, “because it is likely that the employee followed good hand hygiene and food safety practices.” The store was inspected during a routine health inspection July 31, and no violations were found, officials said.
Anyone who visited the store within the past two weeks and believes they are at risk of infection should receive a vaccine, officials said. Immune globulin instead of the vaccine is available for infants, people with a chronic liver disease, and those who are over 40, pregnant or immune-system compromised. Symptoms of Hepatitis A include jaundice, fatigue, abdominal pain, loss of appetite, nausea, diarrhea and fever. Anyone with symptoms should contact a doctor. People who catch the disease can be sick for anywhere from a few weeks to six months.
