Personal Injury Law

Syracuse University Tries To Keep Hepatitis A at Bay

By Marler Clark LLP

Usually at this time of year, students are Syracuse University are only asked to put on their orange. This year, however, students and others who work in the food service are being asked to take a dose of hepatitis A vaccine after one server was diagnosed with the disease.

The food service worker presented symptoms on Friday, said Kevin Morrow, speaking for the university in an e-mail Tuesday. Lab tests were ordered and came back positive for hepatitis A, he said.

According to the Syracuse Post Standard:

The health department interviewed the infected person Friday, and learned that the individual had worked in the Shaw and Haven dining halls on Aug. 23 and 27.

The health department found that the worker was infected outside of Onondaga County, Morrow said.

Most infections from hepatitis A result from contact with a household member or sex partner, according to an e-mail sent to students Tuesday by Dr. James R. Jacobs, director of SU health services.

When a food service worker is diagnosed with the disease, the state recommends that colleagues who worked the same shift be vaccinated as a precaution, Morrow said.

Food safety advocate and attorney, Bill Marler, has long advocate that all food service workers be vaccinated.   For more on Hep A at SU, go here.

Full post as published by Hepatitis Blog on September 05, 2008 (boomark / email).