Health Officials Say Tampa Bay At Center Of Hepatitis A Outbreak

CLEARWATER, FL -- With Friday's announcement that a Clearwater Arby's food service worker has tested positive for hepatitis A, the Florida Department of Health said Florida is now in the midst of an outbreak that's concentrated in Tampa Bay.

The latest case makes 1,503 hepatitis cases between Jan. 1, 2018, and April 27 of this year. In the week of April 21-27 alone, the DOH reported 70 new cases of the virus. That brings the total this year to 954 cases, nearly twice the number of cases reported in 2018 (549 cases) and more than three times the cases reported in 2017 (276 cases.)

As a result, DOH offices around the state are offering free vaccinations as health officials focus their attention on food service workers.

Hepatitis A is caused by contagious virus that infects the liver, and can lead to serious liver problems. The virus spreads through the feces of people who have the virus. If a person with the virus doesn’t wash his or her hands after going to the bathroom, feces can transfer to objects, food, drinks or drugs. When these things are shared, other people can unknowingly swallow the virus. If a person who has the virus comes in close contact with others—like during sex—the virus can also spread.

The unprecedented number of reported cases has put the health department is a cause of concern, said Dr. Carina Blackmore, Florida state epidemiologist.

“With Florida being the third largest state in the country, it is unfortunate, but not surprising that our case numbers have also been rising,” she said. One reason, she said, may be the state's ongoing opioid crisis. The largest population of people becoming infected are homeless men between 30 and 50 years old who use drugs.

She emphasized, however, that hepatitis A is a vaccine-preventable liver disease.

Health officials identified the most recent case Friday, May 3, in a food service worker at Arby's restaurant, 30263 U.S. 19 N., in Clearwater. The employee may have exposed patrons between April 5 and 20, according to the DOH.

Those who ate food from this restaurant during that period and have not previously been vaccinated for hepatitis A should consider getting vaccinated, said officials.

The hepatitis A vaccine may provide protection against the disease if given within two weeks after exposure. Patrons also should monitor for symptoms of hepatitis A infection which include sudden onset of abdominal discomfort, dark urine, fever, diarrhea, pale white stools, and yellow skin and eyes (jaundice). Anyone experiencing these symptoms should seek medical attention promptly.

DOH-Pinellas continues to offer the hepatitis A vaccines at no cost and without an appointment at these clinic locations from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays:

• St. Petersburg: 205 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. St. N
• Pinellas Park: 6350 76th Ave. N
• Mid-County (Largo): 8751 Ulmerton Road
• Clearwater: 310 N. Myrtle Ave
• Tarpon Springs: 301 S. Disston Ave.

Additionally, DOH-Pinellas is encouraging all healthcare providers, including hospital emergency departments, to stay on high alert and immediately report cases to DOH-Pinellas.

In recent weeks, cases have also been confirmed at:

• Ferg's Sports Bar & Grill, 1320 Central Ave., St. Petersburg. The infected worker's last workday at the restaurant was April 13.
• Taco Bell, 40976 U.S. 19 N., Tarpon Springs. The infectious period is from April 12-14.
• Silverthorn Country Club, 4550 Golf Club Lane, Spring Hill. The worker may have exposed patrons between April 12 and April 30.
• Sandpiper Grille, 1702 S Pebble Beach Blvd., Sun City Center. The infectious period was from March 20-24.

The health department said the largest number of cases this year have been reported in Pinellas County (206 cases), followed by Pasco County (202 cases), then Hillsborough County (80 cases).

For more information, visit the DOH website.