Cafe worker may have spread typhoid fever

Customers who dined at a Stonestown Galleria restaurant on certain days last month may have been exposed to typhoid fever, San Francisco public health authorities said Friday.

A worker who handles food at the Nordstrom Cafe was diagnosed with typhoid, a bacterial infection rare in the United States but common in many developing countries. The worker, a line cook who was not identified, has recovered from his illness.

Anyone who ate at the Nordstrom Cafe on April 16, 17, 18, 20 or 27 - days the worker was at the restaurant and possibly contagious - may be at risk of becoming ill, according to the Public Health Department.

People who may have been exposed should be aware of symptoms of typhoid fever - including fever, weakness, stomach pains, headache, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea - and see their doctor right away if they feel ill. Symptoms usually appear within one to two weeks of exposure, but can take up to a month to show up.

"This exposure is probably low likelihood, but given the extent of people exposed, it's better to be safe" and to alert the public at large, said Dr. Naveena Bobba, acting health officer for the Public Health Department. "Right now is probably the time if people were exposed that they might be showing symptoms."

It's unclear how many people ate at Nordstrom Cafe on those days. Nordstrom officials said they met with employees on Friday to inform them of the case.

The company is offering free testing for typhoid to any customers who might have been exposed while eating at the restaurant. Customers should call Nordstrom, (415) 753-1344, for more information.

The worker almost definitely contracted typhoid while traveling outside the United States, Bobba said. San Francisco sees a handful of cases of typhoid each year, but it's unusual for officials to put out a public alert. In most cases, the risk to people outside the patient's immediate family is slim.

Typhoid fever is caused by the Salmonella typhi bacterium. People become infected when they ingest food or water that's been contaminated by an infected individual or by sewage that contains the bacterium.

The illness is treatable with antibiotics, and most people recover fully. But it can be dangerous and even deadly in people with weakened immune systems. People diagnosed with typhoid should not prepare food or beverages for others, and they should avoid contact with young children, hospitalized patients and anyone with immune deficiencies.