Hepatitis A Case Identified At NJ Starbucks

GLOUCESTER TOWNSHIP, NJ — A food handler at a Starbucks in Gloucester Township has tested positive for hepatitis A, and worked through their infectious period, Camden County officials said on Thursday.

The Starbucks at 1490 Blackwood-Clementon Road was closed temporarily until all employees could be vaccinated, according to officials.

Anyone who visited that location on Nov. 4,5,6, 11, 12 and 13 is advised to get the Hepatitis A vaccine out of an abundance of caution, officials said.

There will be a vaccination clinic set up at the Camden County Sustainable Facility at 508 Lakeland Road, beginning Friday.

Friday’s clinic will operate from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. and on Saturday morning from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Vaccine appointments will be made on a first come, first served basis.

“If you have been vaccinated for hepatitis A in the past, you do not need to receive another dose,” county officials said in a statement ahead of Friday’s clinic. “If you have a child that was born after the year 2000, that child has likely already been vaccinated for hepatitis A and does not require another dose. However, parents should check with their pediatrician to confirm their child’s vaccine status.”

The Camden County Department of Health was notified on Wednesday that the patient had tested positive, officials said on Thursday.

Members of the health department’s food surveillance unit inspected the store on Wednesday, and found no evidence of safety violations, officials said.

“The county health department has been working closely with the patient and the staff at the Starbucks to address the situation,” Camden County Health Officer Paschal Nwako said. “Our highest priority is ensuring everyone involved remains safe and healthy. The patient is not currently working, and close contacts have been identified. We encourage anyone who may believe they were exposed to get vaccinated against hepatitis A by calling the county health department or your primary care physician.”

Hepatitis A is usually spread when a person ingests fecal matter, even in microscopic amounts, from contact with objects, food, or drinks contaminated by the feces or stool of an infected person. Signs and symptoms of hepatitis A can include the following:

• Fever
• Fatigue
• Loss of appetite
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Abdominal discomfort
• Dark urine
• Clay-colored bowel movement
• Joint pain
• Jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes)

Symptoms of the disease surface two to four weeks after exposure, although they can in some instances occur two to seven weeks after exposure. Children under six years of age with hepatitis A often do not have or show few signs and symptoms.

Hepatitis A is a contagious liver disease that results from infection with the hepatitis A virus. It can range in severity from a mild illness lasting a few weeks to a severe illness lasting several months.

The Department of Health recommends those who have visited the Starbucks within these dates to have a hepatitis A vaccine and/or immune globulin that can reduce the risk of acquiring the disease. Individuals should receive the vaccine as soon as possible, but no later than 14 days after contact.

For more information on hepatitis A and vaccine availability, patrons of Starbucks can contact the Camden County Health Department at 856-549-0530 or their primary care physician.