Portland restaurant may be exposed to hepatitis A

The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention has identified a case of hepatitis A in a food service worker in Portland.

The person worked at Green Elephant on Parliament Street during the period of infection on the following dates:

• September. 21. Dinner;
• September. 23. Lunch and dinner;
• September. 24. Dinner;
• September. 27. Only eat dinner;
• September. 28. Lunch and dinner;
• September. 30. Lunch and dinner;
• October 1, dinner;
• October 4, dinner;
• October 5th, dinner.

“Anyone who ate at this restaurant during these days may be at risk for hepatitis A infection,” the Maine CDC said. “It is not known whether people who purchased and/or ate from this restaurant during these days whether customers with takeout food or drinks were infected. The restaurant is working closely with the Maine CDC and reports no ongoing exposure after these dates.”

The announcement from the Maine CDC comes two weeks after a possible hepatitis A exposure at a Lewiston restaurant.

Hepatitis A is a liver disease that can be spread through person-to-person contact or by eating contaminated food or water, according to the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

The Maine CDC is asking anyone who may have been exposed to contact their healthcare provider.

The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention says people who have been exposed to the virus can avoid getting sick if they get vaccinated within 14 days of exposure. At some facilities in Maine, anyone without health insurance can get the vaccine.

According to the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, those who may have been exposed should:

• Throw away any leftover food purchased at Marco’s during the above dates;
• Get vaccinated if eligible;
• If you eat or drink at Marco’s on a day when employees are working, get vaccinated within 14 days – people who miss the window can still get vaccinated to prevent future exposure;
• For employees who worked in the restaurant during the above dates, please be vaccinated within 14 days of the last date worked;
• Ask your healthcare provider if you need hepatitis A immune globulin (IG) in addition to the hepatitis A vaccine, as some people may need both.

According to the Maine CDC, those who have been vaccinated against hepatitis A are already protected and do not need additional doses.

Symptoms of hepatitis include feeling tired, low or no appetite, stomach pain, nausea, diarrhea, dark urine, yellowing of the skin and eyes (called jaundice), fever, and joint pain.

Symptoms begin 15-50 days after exposure and range from mild to severe. People who are very sick may need to go to the hospital, and their symptoms may last for several months. Most children under six years old have mild or no symptoms.

“Hepatitis A cases in Maine have remained high since an initial increase in 2019,” the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention said. “People who are at higher risk for infection should use the hepatitis A vaccine to protect themselves.”