Burlington County Resident Diagnosed With Hepatitis A

A Burlington County resident who works at a restaurant in Voorhees has tested positive for Hepatitis A, the Camden County Health Department said on Friday.

All the employees at the restaurant were vaccinated shortly after identification to prevent spread of the disease, officials said.

There is little to no public threat, officials said. The restaurant employee had limited direct contact with any food consumed by the public, was not experiencing diarrhea, and did not work while sick.

The patient works as a server and has not returned to work. The owner is fully cooperating with the health department, which noted that all restaurant inspections have been good for this establishment prior to the incident.

“As a department I want to commend the quick and proactive measures taken by our public health professionals,” Camden County Freeholder Carmen Rodriguez, liaison to the Camden County Health Department, said. “Furthermore, the health of the community was the number one concern for our personnel in responding to this situation and they have done excellent job of addressing this challenging situation.”

The patient began experiencing symptoms on May 2, and checked into Virtua Hospital in Marlton on May 8. Laboratory results confirmed a Hepatitis A diagnosis and the Camden County Health Department was notified on May 11.

Hepatitis A is commonly spread by mouth from contact with objects, food or drinks contaminated by the feces of an infected person. Symptoms usually appear from a few weeks to several months. The symptoms include fever, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, dark urine, joint pain and jaundice.

If any member of the public has questions in regard to Hepatitis A they can call the Camden County Health Department hotline at (800) 999-9045 for more information.