Kroger worker with hepatitis A may have exposed shoppers to the virus at a Louisville store

Clarification: This story was updated to reflect that the employee did not continue working once he or she became aware of the diagnosis.

An employee at a Kroger store on Dixie Highway was diagnosed with hepatitis A and customers are being warned to look out for possible symptoms.

Customers who visited the store at 4915 Dixie Highway and shopped the produce section where the employee worked from Feb. 4 to Feb. 28 may be at risk of exposure, Kroger said in a statement released Friday night. Produce purchased at the store during that time should be discarded.

The employee stopped work as soon as he was diagnosed, a Kroger spokesperson clarified later. The health department was immediately contacted and the store began disposing of product and cleaning.

In February, the state Department of Public Health reported that an outbreak of hepatitis A was continuing, with 117 cases statewide and 96 in the Louisville area, according to the Associated Press. The 10-year average in Kentucky has been about 20 cases per year.

An outbreak of hepatitis A was declared in November, when Jefferson County had 19 confirmed cases. At the time, officials said common risk factors included homelessness or drug use.

Symptoms of hepatitis A can include:

fatigue,

low appetite

stomach pain

nausea

jaundice

These symptoms often clear up within two months of infection. Anyone who has consumed produce from the store and is experiencing symptoms should seek medical attention.

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“Hepatitis A is a vaccine-preventable, communicable disease of the liver caused by the hepatitis A virus (HAV)," according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "It is usually transmitted person-to-person through the fecal-oral route or consumption of contaminated food or water. Hepatitis A is a self-limited disease that does not result in chronic infection."

Most children younger than 6 years old don't show symptoms, according to the CDC, or have an unrecognized infection.

"Kroger is cooperating fully with local and state health officials to identify associates and customers who may be at risk for infection," the release said.

For more information, anyone who may have been exposed should visit www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/hav.

Reporter Darcy Costello contributed to this report.

Bobby Shipman: 502-582-4319; rshipmaniv@courier-journal.com; Twitter: @bobbyfrancisiv. Support strong local journalism by subscribing today: www.courier-journal.com/bobbys.