Hepatitis A exposure notification issued for restaurant in Whistler

A Hepatitis A exposure notification has been issued by Vancouver Coastal Health for Splitz Grill in Whistler.

The health authority says that, while the risk of transmission remains low, anyone who consumed food at the establishment on Main Street in Whistler on October 9 between noon and 6 pm and who is not protected against hepatitis A should get immunized against the virus.

Vancouver Coastal Health is issuing a hepatitis A public exposure notification for Splitz Grill located at 4369 Main Street in Whistler on Oct. 9 from noon to 6pm.

Read the full details here: https://t.co/EVX2276ZSi pic.twitter.com/93kcA13kij

— Vancouver Coastal Health (@VCHhealthcare) October 21, 2021

Vancouver Coastal Health will hold a Hepatitis A vaccination clinic at the Whistler Community Health Centre to ensure anyone who may have been exposed has the opportunity to get immunized. The clinic will operate on a walk-in basis.

The virus affects the liver and is typically found in the stool of those infected.

A statement from Vancouver Coastal Health explains, “Hepatitis A is a virus that affects the liver and is typically found in the stools of an infected person. It is spread when a person eats food or drinks water that has come in contact with infected stools.”

Symptoms include fatigue, stomach upset and loss of appetite, weight loss and fever. It can take at least two weeks for symptoms to develop.

VCH adds that in most cases, the infection clears and does not lead to long-term liver problems, but it can be more serious in rare instances.