St. Pete Beach Restaurant Worker Tests Positive For Hepatitis A

Another case of hepatitis A has been found in a food service worker in the Tampa Bay area.

The Department of Health in Pinellas County says an employee at the Toasted Monkey on St. Pete Beach tested positive for the viral liver disease.

The health department says anyone who ate at the restaurant between Oct. 17 and 28 should be vaccinated. Those who are vaccinated within 14 days of exposure could prevent infection.

The Health Department is offering the vaccine at five of its locations throughout the county:

• 205 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. St. North in St. Petersburg
• 6350 76th Ave. North in Pinellas Park
• 8751 Ulmerton Road in Largo
• 310 N. Myrtle Ave. in Clearwater
• 301 S. Disston Ave. in Tarpon Springs

Florida officials have seen a sharp increase in hepatitis A cases over the past two years. In 2017, the number of cases in the state more than doubled from 122 to 276. Through September of this year, there have already been 314 cases in the state, including 46 in Hillsborough County alone.  

Last month, a food service worker at Hamburger Mary's in Ybor City tested positive for the disease. Following an alert from the Health Department, more than 600 people were vaccinated. So far, no cases have been linked to the Hamburger Mary’s incident, officials said.

Symptoms, which can include jaundice, fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and stomach pain, usually start within 28 days of exposure to the virus. The disease may require hospitalization but most people who are infected will get better over time.

For more information, call the Health Department at (727) 824-6932.

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