FLORENCE, Ky. -- Another Northern Kentucky food worker has been diagnosed with hepatitis A, and health officials are warning anyone who may have been exposed to the virus.
An employee at Lee's Famous Recipe Chicken in Florence diagnosed with hepatitis A worked at a time when they were infectious on Aug. 25 and 26, according to the Northern Kentucky Health Department.
Officials determined there is only a low risk of exposure to patrons because the employee did not have bare-hand contact with food items and a NKY Health Department site visit did not find any violations related to poor hygienic practices related to the investigation.
The restaurant's management is cooperating with the investigation and response, health officials said.
Symptoms of hepatitis A include loss of appetite, nausea, tiredness, fever, stomach pain, brown colored urine, light colored stools and yellowing of the skin or eyes. Careful hand washing and vaccination help stop the disease from spreading.
It is uncommon for someone to contract hepatitis A due to an infected food handler, health officials said.
There have been 67 cases of hepatitis A reported in Northern Kentucky this year, and 1,495 reported across Kentucky. Health officials declared an outbreak in Northern Kentucky earlier this month. Food workers at the Newport Syndicate and the Owenton McDonald's, as well as a Taco Bell in Clermont County, Ohio, have been diagnosed, prompting warnings.
A couple even filed a class action complaint against the Newport Syndicate on Wednesday over the issue.
