As Many As 5,000 Red Robin Customers In Missouri Exposed To Hepatitis A

Health officials in Missouri are trying to sort out just how many diners at a Red Robin restaurant in Springfield, MO, were affected by being exposed to food that came in contact with a restaurant worker infected with Hepatitis A.

The Springfield-Greene County Health Department says upwards of 5,000 customers may have been exposed and has set up temporary clinics to deal with the large number of people involved and hopefully vaccinate those who need it before the disease kicks in.

Symptoms of Hepatitis A include fever, fatigue, loss of appetite and discolored urine. The incubation period for the disease is 28-30 days and vaccinations need to be taken within 14 days.

The health department has called on people to not panic and flood the emergency rooms of area hospitals, but rather be patient and schedule a vaccination if needed or speak to their physicians if they can’t be vaccinated because of pregnancy or a weakened immune system.

The infected worker was last in the restaurant on May 16, so anyone who ate there between from May 8-16 is being asked to contact the health department for more information.

Not all of those exposed to the disease will need to be treated, as they may have already been vaccinated against Hep A.

The restaurant itself has been inspected in recent days and has been deemed safe by the health department.

Thousands may have been exposed to hepatitis A at Missouri restaurant [CNN]