Health officials in Florida revealed an employee working at a restaurant in Walt Disney World has been diagnosed with hepatitis A.
Employee Not Working Since Being Diagnosed With Hepatitis A
The employee, a cast member of the Hoop Dee Doo Musical Revue dinner show at Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort, has not reported for work since being diagnosed last week.
Walt Disney World spokesperson Erica Ettori said the staff member will not return to work until fully cleared by the Department of Health.
"Nothing is more important to us than safety and we immediately began working with the Florida Department of Health in Orange County," Ettori said. "The impacted cast member has not worked since being diagnosed and will not return until officially cleared by the Department of Health."
The theme park said no other employee or guest has been infected. Precautions were also made. The health department in Orange County made vaccines available to the co-workers of the patient.
Hoop Dee Doo Musical Revue is still open but the restaurant was cleaned and sanitized.
Hepatitis A
Hepatitis A is a transferable disease of the liver that often spreads when a person eats or drinks food or water contaminated by small, undetected amounts of fecal matter from an infected person.
Most children less than 6 years old do not show symptoms or have unrecognized infection. Infected adults, however, often show symptoms of infection, which include low appetite, fatigue, symptoms, stomach pain, nausea and jaundice that often go away within two months.
Prevention
Hepatitis A is a vaccine preventable disease. The U.S Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the best way to prevent infection is to get vaccinated.
"Vaccination with the full, two-dose series of hepatitis A vaccine is the best way to prevent HAV infection. Hepatitis A vaccine has been licensed in the United States for use in persons 1 year of age and older," CDC said.
