2 Hepatitis A Cases Linked to Detroit Whole Foods Market

DETROIT, MI — The Detroit Health Department is investigating two cases of hepatitis A that could be linked to a Whole Foods Market in Detroit, the agency said in a statement Thursday. One of the two cases involves an employee who handles food prepared at the store at 115 Mack Ave. The other was of a customer who was sickened after eating from that section of Whole Foods, though the Austin-based organic food grocer said there is “no definitive link” between the two cases.

“While it remains unclear exactly how either of these individuals contracted Hepatitis A, and we know that Whole Foods Market Detroit has a comprehensive food safety protocol, we want to do our best to protect our residents and those of surrounding communities who may have been exposed,” Abdul El-Sayed, the agency’s executive director and health officer, said in the statement.

The grocer issued a statement saying it is “cooperating fully” in the investigation.

“After a team member in our Whole Foods Market store in Detroit was diagnosed with Hepatitis A, out of an abundance of caution, we immediately contacted the Detroit Health Department and began reviewing food logs and safety procedures,” Whole Foods said. “While there is no definitive link that the second case is related to the occurrence in our store, we are cooperating fully with the Detroit Health Department to ensure the safety of our customers and team members.”

News of the investigation rattled investors, and the stock closed at $28.29 on the Nasdaq Thursday after sinking as low as $28.02 on the day’s trading. The stock has already declined 14 percent this year through Wednesday’s close amid concerns that the niche grocer is losing ground to mainstream grocers, Bloomberg reported.

Hepatitis A is a liver infection caused by the hepatitis A virus and is highly contagious, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It is usually transmitted by the fecal-oral route, either through person-to-person contact or consumption of contaminated food or water.

More than 80 percent of adults with hepatitis A have symptoms, but the majority of children do not have symptoms or have an unrecognized infection, the CDC said. Antibodies produced in response to hepatitis A last for life and protect against reinfection. The CDC said best way to prevent hepatitis A is by getting vaccinated.

Photo of a Whole Foods Store by Mike Mozart via Flickr Commons