The state issued a warning Tuesday to patrons who ate at a Texas Roadhouse restaurant in Bangor last month to get vaccinated for a contagious liver disease that might have been spread by a food service worker.
The worker, who tested positive for acute hepatitis A, handled food at the restaurant for all but two days between Oct. 16 and Oct. 29. Those two days were Oct. 19 and Oct. 28. Anyone who ate at the restaurant on the other days between Oct. 20 and Oct. 29 should get vaccinated immediately, Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention officials said.
People who ate there from Oct. 16-18 “are outside the window for which the vaccine is recommended to reduce the likelihood of illness” but should seek medical attention if they develop symptoms of an infection, officials said.
Hepatitis A is a viral liver disease that can cause mild to severe illness, according to the World Health Organization. It is transmitted through contaminated food and water or direct contact with an infectious person.
Most adults with hepatitis A have a sudden onset of symptoms such as fatigue, low appetite, stomach pain, nausea, dark urine and the yellowing of the skin and eyes. Most children younger than age 6 do not have symptoms or have an unrecognized infection, Maine CDC officials said.
Those who should seek vaccination include anyone who ate dine-in, take-out, delivery, or curbside pickup food from the restaurant on the days in question, officials said.
Symptoms become apparent 15-50 days after exposure and include. An infected person can spread the virus to others for about two weeks before symptoms start until one week after symptoms end, officials said.