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Hepatitis Cases Linked to McDonald’s Source of
Article: http://www.newsinferno.com/archives/11847 Date Published: Wednesday, August 19th, 2009 Fast
food giant, McDonald’s Corporation, continues to be slammed with allegations
of hepatitis A
contamination originating from last month’s outbreak. According to the Rock Island
County Health Department, said QCTimes, it reported its 18th case of the
dangerous virus. “This
individual is a household contact to one of the cases reported the week of
July 13,” said Theresa Foes, a health department spokeswoman, quoted QCTimes,
who explained that the victim was not immunized against hepatitis A. Last
month, over 5,300 people received immunizations at clinics offered by the
health department. Reuters said over 10,000 people may have been exposed
based on restaurant traffic information. A
total of 32 hepatitis A cases have been confirmed in western Illinois and
eastern Iowa and have been linked to this summer’s outbreak associated with
the Milan, Illinois’ McDonald’s located at 400 West 1st Street, said QCTimes. Three
lawsuits have been filed against McDonald’s Corporation, to date, and more
are expected. Justice News Flash previously pointed out that when patrons
fall ill because a restaurant owner fails to maintain “a safe and healthy
working environment, as required by state and federal health laws,” those
patrons may be entitled to compensation for damages and injuries, including
physician visits, hospital stays, medications, and lost income, to name some. The
McDonald’s was closed on July 15 by the Rock Island County Health Department
for health official inspection and cleaning, reported the Denver Post
previously, and reopened on July 18. A recently completed investigation
conducted by the Rock Island County Sheriff’s Department revealed that the
Trinity Regional Health System and the Metropolitan Medical Laboratory did
not report the cases in a timely manner, as is mandated by law, according to
QCTimes, previously Two
McDonald’s food handlers are among those sickened, said Reuters previously.
Citing press reports, Reuters said that one of the workers who was ill on
June 16, was later diagnosed with hepatitis A. It seems the worker did handle
food while she was infectious, said Reuters. According
to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), hepatitis A is
an acute, contagious liver disease caused by the hepatitis A virus (HAV). The
disease is transmitted by the ingestion of fecal matter or contaminated food
or drinks or from close person-to-person contact. The ingestion can be, says
the CDC, even in microscopic amounts. Such person-to-person contact can occur
when, for instance, an infected person does not wash his or her hands
properly after going to the bathroom and touches other objects or food, the
CDC explained. Hepatitis
A symptoms usually appear anywhere from two-to-six weeks after exposure and
develop over a period of several days and can include fever, fatigue, loss of
appetite, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, dark urine, clay-colored bowel
movements, joint pain, and jaundice. Hep A, while not chronic, can last
anywhere from a few weeks to a few months and, while most people recover with
no long-lasting liver damage, people can feel sick for months. Hep A can
cause liver failure and even death in people over the age of 50 or in those
with other liver diseases, such as hepatitis B or C. |
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