CHARLOTTE, N.C -- Health officials in Mecklenburg County are urging those who ate at the Hardee's on Little Rock Road in west Charlotte to receive a hepatitis A vaccination as soon as possible.They said a worker at the restaurant has been diagnosed with hepatitis A and may have exposed thousands of customers to the illness.According to, the health director said people who ate at Hardee's between June 13 and 23 must be vaccinated within 14 days of coming into contact with hepatitis A.Officials said as many as 4,000 people ate at the restaurant over that 10-day period.Officials said the employee who tested positive for hepatitis A handled food and that's why others may have been exposed.The Health Department found out Monday that the employee was diagnosed with the liver disease but waited until Tuesday to notify the public."We really didn't have all the information yesterday and had we talked to the state yesterday it really wouldn't have changed our time frame," said Health Director Gibbie Harris.Hepatitis A is one of the mildest forms of hepatitis, causing flu-like symptoms and in some cases, jaundice.It's generally transmitted when people don't wash their hands after using the bathroom.The Hardee's restaurant voluntarily closed Tuesday afternoon.A statement from a company spokesperson reads: