Hep A Exposure Reported At Peekskill Event Space

PEEKSKILL, NY — The Westchester County Department of Health warns that anyone who was at Factoria Feb. 15 or at Fin & Brew on Feb. 16 or 19 may have been exposed to Hepatitis A. Health officials have been reaching out to patrons to offer free preventive treatment.

Treatments will start Tuesday for anyone who ate or drank at The Space at Factoria or at Fin & Brew during the exposure period.

Health officials said an employee with Hepatitis A worked at a private event Feb. 15 at the event space at Factoria in Peekskill while infectious.

Acting out of an abundance of caution, said health department spokeswoman Caren Halbfinger, health officials are also reaching out to patrons of Fin & Brew for Feb. 16 and 19. The restaurant shares an ice machine with the event space.

Patrons at the other restaurants in the complex are not at risk because they have separate facilities, she said.

"I urge anyone who is eligible for treatment to get a Hepatitis A vaccine," said Sherlita Amler, MD, Commissioner of Health. "There are no special medications used to treat a person once symptoms appear, but Hepatitis A transmission to others can be prevented through proper handwashing."

Preventive treatment for Hep A is only effective if given within two weeks of the last day of exposure. Therefore, those who dined on Feb. 15 must receive preventive treatment by Feb. 29. Those who dined on Feb. 16 must receive treatment by March 1 and those who dined there on Feb. 19 must receive treatment by March 4

No one with a prior history of Hepatitis A vaccination or Hepatitis A infection needs to be treated.

The health department will offer free preventive treatment at its clinic, 134 Court Street, White Plains. Here are the dates and times:

• Tuesday, Feb. 25, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.
• Wednesday, Feb. 26, 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
• Thursday, Feb. 27, 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.

For other times by appointment during clinic hours, call 914-995-7499.

Although walk-ins are welcome, advance registration is highly recommended. To register, go to www.health.ny.gov/gotoclinic/60.

To provide consent, a parent/guardian must accompany anyone under 18.

Restaurant patrons who were exposed also can seek preventive treatment from their own health care provider.

Factoria conducted a thorough cleaning on Thursday, health officials said. Staff were vaccinated Friday morning and the restaurant will be re-inspected Friday by the Westchester County Department of Health before reopening for dinner.

Hepatitis A is transmitted by consuming food or drinks that have been handled by an infected person. It may also be spread from person to person by ingesting something that has been contaminated with the stool of a person with Hepatitis A. Casual contact, such as sitting together, does not spread the virus.

Hep A is generally a mild illness whose symptoms include fatigue, fever, poor appetite, abdominal pain, diarrhea, dark urine, light colored stool and jaundice, which is the yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes. Not everyone infected with Hepatitis A will have all of its symptoms.

Symptoms commonly appear within 28 days of exposure, with a range of 15 to 50 days. Symptoms typically do not appear until a person has had the virus for a few weeks.

The illness is rarely fatal and most people recover in a few weeks without any complications.

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