CHARLESTON, W.Va. — A second Hepatitis A investigation involving food service in Kanawha County has been confirmed.
According to the Kanawha-Charleston Health Department, an employee of the Taco Bell in Belle was diagnosed with the disease. The person did work during an infectious period between April 11 and April 27, but stopped working after a diagnosis.
The transmission risk for Hepatitis A is low. Symptoms include fever, fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, dark urine, light-colored stools and yellowing of the skin and eyes. Transmission is typically person to person.
Health department officials and Taco Bell representatives met to review food handling practices and review procedures. No unsafe practices were identified, and the risk of transmission to the public is low.
The health department is not issuing a health advisory for those who ate at the restaurant.
This case follows a multi-state outbreak. More than 70 acute cases in Kanawha and Putnam counties have been investigated.