VCH warns of hepatitis A exposure at two swanky Whistler restaurants
Two high-end restaurants in Whistler Village are the subject of a hepatitis A exposure alert from Vancouver Coastal Health.
The health authority put out a notice Thursday afternoon saying patrons who dined at Araxi Restaurant + Oyster Bar and Il Caminetto between July 4 to 20 could have been exposed to the virus.
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Although the chances of catching the liver-targeting illness are low, VCH is asking all restaurant customers to monitor themselves for symptoms. Hepatitis A symptoms can take two to seven weeks to develop after exposure, and they usually last for about two months.
Symptoms of hepatitis A infection include feeling very tired, feeling sick to your stomach, loss of appetite, losing weight without trying, pain in the liver (right side of the belly, under the rib cage), fever, sore muscles, yellow skin and eyes, dark urine, and clay-coloured poop.
The good news is hepatitis A tends to not be a long-lasting illness, and in most people the infection goes away on its own and doesn’t cause long-lasting liver problems. Although in some cases it can be more serious, according to VCH.
There is a vaccine that protects against hepatitis A, and getting a dose of it within two weeks of exposure can help prevent exposure. VCH recommends anyone that dined at the restaurants between July 14 and 20 get vaccinated.
There are several places within the health region to get a free hepatitis A vaccine.
Anyone who has already been infected with hepatitis A or who has already received two doses of hepatitis A vaccine is considered protected.
According to the US Centre for Disease Control, hepatitis A is passed through blood and stool of people infected with the virus through close personal contact or eating contaminated food or drink.