OPH warning hepatitis A exposure at Hunt Club Tim Hortons

NEPEAN – Ottawa Public Health (OPH) is alerting the public to a possible hepatitis A exposure at the Tim Hortons location at 372 Hunt Club Rd.

“OPH is investigating a confirmed case of hepatitis A in an employee at this location,” OPH staff released in a statement today (Dec. 17). “While the risk to patrons is very low, OPH recommends anyone who ate and/or drank products from this location, between Nov. 15 and Dec. 8, to monitor for signs and symptoms of hepatitis A for 50 days.”

Any patron who experiences fever, loss of appetite, nausea, abdominal pain, feeling generally unwell (malaise), yellow skin and eyes (jaundice), pale stools or dark urine should seek medical assessment.

“Risk to patrons is considered to be very low because of the food service establishment’s proper attention to hygiene and safe food preparation,” OPH said.

Hepatitis A is a liver infection caused by the hepatitis A virus, which spreads from person to person by the fecal-oral route.

“That means it spreads when feces from a person infected with the virus gets into the mouth of another person,” OPH said. “This can happen if an infected individual uses a washroom and improperly washes their hands before preparing food for another person or if food or water is already contaminated.”

Hepatitis A is more common in places with inadequate sanitation systems. Sources of infection in Canada have been related to imported produce and returning travellers who were not immune and were exposed to the virus.

“Although some individuals infected with hepatitis A have no symptoms, those who do will start to experience symptoms within 15 to 50 days after swallowing the virus (e.g., eating food that was contaminated),” OPH said. “Adults are more likely to have symptoms than young children. The illness usually lasts several weeks but, in some cases, can last two or more months.”

There are no specific medications to treat hepatitis A – most individuals recover without treatment; however, it may, in some rare cases, cause serious liver damage. After recovering from the illness, a person is considered immune and protected against hepatitis A for life. Unlike hepatitis B and C, hepatitis A is not transmitted through blood and does not produce long-term (chronic) infections. The most effective ways to prevent contracting hepatitis A is to be vaccinated against it (especially before travel) and to practice good hand washing, particularly after using the bathroom and before preparing food or eating, and to seek safe food and drink when travelling.

If you have questions about your health or possible signs and symptoms of hepatitis A, call 811 to connect with a registered nurse for free, secure, and confidential health advice. Service is available in English and French, with translation support also offered in other languages. Visit health811.ontario.ca for more information. For more information about hepatis A, visit OttawaPublicHealth.ca/HepatitisA.