Hepatitis Outbreak: This Is Why You Need To Wash Your Hands Before You Return To Work
Hepatitis A is an extremely contagious disease that can be passed along by food service workers who don't thoroughly wash their hands — and that may have been the case at a Milan, Illinois McDonald's according to the Quad City Times.
From the Quad City Times:
[A spokeswoman for the Rock Island County Health Department] declined comment about news reports that employees of a McDonald's restaurant in Milan, Ill., were tested Wednesday for hepatitis A.
The business on U.S. 67 was closed Thursday. A sign was posted on the window of every door and at the drive-thru area. Written all in capital letters, the sign read: "Sorry for any inconvenience, but we are closed until further notice."
Workers could be seen inside the building about 6 p.m. Thursday, sweeping floors and scrubbing chairs, including the type used for toddlers.
Kevin Murphy, owner of the business, could not be reached for comment by the Quad-City Times.
There have been 19 confirmed cases of the disease in the area recently, according to the article. The size of the outbreak is unusual because since 1995, children have been vaccinated against the disease. Hepatitis A is rarely fatal, but does have the ability to damage the liver.
The CDC says, "Hepatitis A is a contagious liver disease that results from infection with the hepatitis A virus. It can range in severity from a mild illness lasting a few weeks to a severe illness lasting several months. Hepatitis A is usually spread when a person ingests fecal matter - even in microscopic amounts - from contact with objects, food, or drinks contaminated by the feces or stool of an infected person. " Yuck.
Hepatitis A [CDC]
Hepatitis A outbreak reported in Henry, Rock Island and Mercer counties [Quad City Times]
Customer, parent outraged over Hepatitis-A handling [WQAD]
(Photo:jdobbsrosa)
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Comments:
I work in food service and would also like to point out that despite any best attempt made by kitchen staff to keep things clean, there is always the public. Sit back and just watch what goes on at a buffet sometime. You will never, ever want to eat at one again. Ick. Also, wait staff is often ill trained in food safety. I've been yelling at my waitstaff where I work constantly to wear gloves, wipe down surfaces, etc. x_x
Hepatits C is NOT "extremely contagious." It cannot be spread through sweat, saliva, or mucus. The only way you catch it is blood-to-blood contact. So the worker would have had to bleed on the food, and the person catching would have to have an open sore to catch it. Not impossible but not "extremely contagious" by any stretch.
It's a dangerous disease - I know because I have it. But please spare us the hysterics. You are supposed to be the myth-busters, right?
There are sterile wipes that can be used instead of soap and water, and which are supposed to kill most bacteria. The anti-bacterial soaps have to be left on the hands for several minutes in order to work. I don't know what these wipes cost but could they be a reasonable alternative?
Whoa, I live in the Quad Cities. Never thought I'd see it on consumerist. That's for sure.
@Smashville: I'm waiting for those too. Also, I have been to this exact McDonalds. Quite a few times actually. I worked in Milan for a while, and it was either drive very far to Subway, or walk to McD's.
@H3ion: Hep A is a virus not a bacteria. Anti-bacterial soaps are no more effective than simple hand washing against viruses.
Or... get innoculated for it.
What would forced vaccinations starting in 1995 have to do with the size of the outbreak? I'm taking a guess here, but, weren't most people alive today born before 1995? If they had started in 1950, maybe there would be reason to think of it as unusual (if they had, though, you could probably expect some sort of mutation to cause an outbreak...yippee vaccinations!).
The only McD's I will eat at is this one in my town that's staffed by little old ladies that call you "sweetie". They smell like soap & keep bottles of hand sanitizer by their registers, so I think my chances of getting a shit-burger is significantly less there. Much less than if I were to eat at the other one across town that's staffed by greasy teenagers who cough into their hands, pick their noses, and then make your food.
@RivaAntimachus: You need to work on your reading comprehension. This post repeatedly says Hepatitis A, not C. Hep A is actually very contagious, and "is most commonly transmitted by the fecal-oral route via contaminated food or drinking water." [en.wikipedia.org]
@RivaAntimachus: Maybe you should read a bit more carefully before getting so sanctimonious. The post is describing Hepatitis A - which is quite contagious.
@H3ion: The wipes also have to be used very carefully in order to be effective. Read the label and don't just rely on what people do in the commercials.
Most of the time, for the wipes (or sprays) to be effective, you have to prewash the area with soap & water, and then let the anti-microbial stuff sit on it for 5-10 minutes. Then wash w/ soap & water. Again, read the label.
Some cleaning materials have been tested against viruses as well as bacteria, so they are considered 'anti-microbial' and not just anti-bacterial. I'm not sure about the hand sanitizers & soaps, though.
@H3ion: Kinda right, anti-bacterial soap/wipes/lysol must be used for 30 seconds to kill the 99% mentioned, who has soap on their hands for 30 seconds? Also, the 1% of bacteria that survive? yea, they're the bad mofos that you DONT want to catch, They take 30 minutes to kill.
@RivaAntimachus: I don't know jack about Hepatitis, but the OP is talking about Hep A, not C. (not sure if that makes a difference.) All I know is I didn't need to see this because now I have one more reason for never leaving the house. The swine flu out there pretty much already sealed that conclusion though.
@kabuk1: I love it when I find a fast food place that is staffed by adults who at least look like they aren't on drugs. I never ran into it in Omaha or Dallas, but when I'm on the road in small towns I usually don't mind eating fast food.
The size of the outbreak doesn't sound unusual. Actually, it sounds unusually small to me. Considering children have been vaccinated since 1995, that would mean the rest of the population that has had contact with that person is vulnerable.
And by the way, the first word in the article is spelled wrong. Hepatits? *giggle*
@Yurei: I saw person eat half a beet slice from the salad bar and then put it back. I wouldn't eat a full beet slice either, but still...
This takes the saying "there's shit in the meat" to a whole new and even more disgusting level.
@calquist: When I was 18 I took a dare / bet that I couldn't eat down a whole can of Whole Beets in less than ten minutes. Well, I did it. Won the bet, and promptly spewed it all back up. I won $10 dollars.
Having eaten at this mcdonalds in the past, I have to say it does not surprise me in the least. It also wouldn't surprise me to have it happen in the other area McDonalds.
@calquist: I stand corrected. Thanks. Davenport's a nice place, but it really depends what part you live in. I'm from Illinois, myself.
$1 for whomever can tell me the plural word for hepatitis... No cheating. (To win the $1 you must prove that you did not cheat.)
@BeerManMike: Microbes and bacteria eventually develop a resistance; however, maintaining the resistance is taxing. This is why you should always cycle your cleaning products/antibacterial/antimicrobial solutions.
When the threat is removed, the resistance is abandoned in favor of a resistance that is needed.
Keep in mind I learned all of this in my high school biology class, which was 14 years ago, so I may be a bit off on my facts and such, but I've always followed this advice.
@Smashville: I was going to go with, "That's what you get for living in a border town, you dirty Illiniowans!" Just for variety.
@RivaAntimachus: Thing is, there are vaccines for hep a and hep b. I think newborns get them now, but if youre older, you should consider getting them. Before it was recommended for healthcare workers, and tourists to third and second world countries. I got mine before going to china, where hep b is endemic (something like 10% of people have it) and hep a could occur, depending on the sanitation standards where you tour or stay.
@RenRen: I'm gonna throw a guess out there, whether it makes me sound like an idiot, I care not.
Hepatiti
once again, *giggle* hehehehe
@RenRen: I'm gonna have to say there is no plural of Hepatitis. You either have it or you don't. There's no Hepatitii or Hepatitises.
@BZMedia: Hmm, i was wrong. Although it's certainly not practical for use by anyone other than specialists.
I rarely get sick. And I think every time I've vomited (3x) in the last 20 years has been food related.
@Don Roberto: I went to China 4 years ago and was not given a Hep A vaccine. I wondered after I got back, as I was in the doctor's office with food poisoning contracted at a restaurant in Beijing, if I should have had one. I don't know if it was Hep A or not, more likely salmonella or e. coli, but it was pretty bad. My stomach has never been quite the same.
@trujunglist: Ever read "Fast Food Nation?" That phrase is a lot more accurate than you realize. And it's not just fast food places, it's your kitchen.
@Ghede: Not really. I like making fun of the typical "I make my own fecal matter at home!" people...
@Yurei: I'm amused by the whole wear gloves thing. For some reason people think this is going to make your food safer. I worked at a place that insisted I wear gloves when serving food from a steam table. I told them I'd be happy to wash my hands but they insisted on the gloves.
Watch people wearing those sometime, they seem to think that they can touch anything and everything and some magical force keeps the gloves clean in situations where they would normally be compelled to wash their hands.
I would wager that people put on a fresh pair less often than they would wash their hands sans gloves.
@YuriFronto: Adults can get Hep A vaccinations too, so the point is that virtually anybody could be innoculated against the illness. It shows that there are lots of people who haven't got the vaccination. I know insurance wouldn't cover mine.
@H3ion: Hep A is usually transmitted by contaminated food and water. Sanitizing surfaces is a good thing to do, but there's probably a patient zero working at this McDonalds, spreading it through contact with food.
@RivaAntimachus: How about this-people with Hepatitis A-don't work in food service, just like you can't donate blood.
@RivaAntimachus: @kabuk1: The worst are the ones staffed by people my age (20s), at least where I live. When you live in a big city, it's always the worst of the worst working there. Which is why I eat at them in small towns
I figured I was the only QC'er who reads Consumerist. Good to know there's more of us. Oh and the IL side of the river is way better. :D
Cue the "You deserve to eat fecal matter for going to McDonald's!" posts.