An Olive Garden food handler tested positive for Hepatitis A, according to the Gloucester County Department of Health.
Officials said the employee worked while infected at the Olive Garden located at 1500 Almonesson Road in Deptford from Dec. 26 through Dec. 30.
According to health officials, If you previously received the Hepatitis A vaccine, you are not at risk but check with your healthcare provider if unsure of your vaccine status.
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For unvaccinated individuals, while the risk is low, it is not absent. The risk may be further lowered by receiving the Hepatitis A vaccine within two weeks of exposure, according to officials.
If you have not been vaccinated and believe you may have been exposed, health officials said it's essential to follow up with your healthcare provider.
Hepatitis A is a viral illness and symptoms usually appear 2 to 7 weeks after exposure. Symptoms include abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, tiredness, poor appetite, jaundice, and dark urine.
Hepatitis A can be prevented, or its impact reduced through vaccination within two weeks of exposure. Hepatitis A vaccine may be obtained from your healthcare provider or a pharmacy with a prescription.
The Gloucester County Department of Health is currently working directly with the restaurant to provide vaccination to potentially exposed unvaccinated coworkers.
According to officials, the Olive Garden received a satisfactory rating after a full inspection was conducted on March 17, 2023. Then the establishment received another satisfactory rating recently on Jan. 10.
"Gloucester County Department of Health is working closely with the New Jersey Department of Health and the restaurant facility to protect the public and prevent further spread of disease," officials said in a news release.
"The health and safety of our guests and team members is our number one priority. The ill front-of-house team member last worked 10 days before they were diagnosed and will not be permitted to return to work until being officially released by a doctor," Olive Garden spokesperson Brittany Baron said in a statement. "While Hepatitis A is not easily transmitted from one person to another, we’ve been working closely with the health department to ensure we have all of the right processes in place to protect our team members and our guests. We are not aware of any other team members or guests becoming ill. We place the highest priority on having the cleanest and safest restaurants in the restaurant industry. Across the country, many local health departments point to our standards as a model for other companies to follow."
Health officials said if residents have questions or concerns call 856-218-4151 or visit the Gloucester County Department of Health website.
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