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Hepatitis Scare at McDonald’s

by Medindia Content Team on Jan 1 2007 4:04 PM

Auckland McDonald’s, the world’s fast food giant, are now reviewing their procedures for handling food, after a Hepatitis A scare ignited by a sick worker.

It is assumed that the sick worker, who handed over the food to customers, must have exposed hundreds to the risk of having Hepatitis A infection. This happened a fortnight ago, after which, the worker has been suspended and asked to return back to work once he is cured of the infection.

Till now, only five people have called the customer hotline, suspecting that they may have infected by the virus.

However, the health authorities have warned all those people who ate at the restaurant on Friday, December 15, from 7pm to 2am. They have been asked to visit the doctor if they show any symptoms. The virus has an incubation period of 2 weeks.

The best way of preventing spread of the hepatitis A is by thorough hand hygiene. Hepatitis is caused by a virus and some of its symptoms were tiredness, lack of energy, loss of appetite, stomach upsets and pains, mild fever, aches and pains, nausea and vomiting, dark urine and yellowing of skin and eyes.

McDonald's Greenlane customers were in favor of gloves for staff handling food. Regular customer Danny Dalauidao said his concern was that cashiers handling money were also handling food.

This is not the first time McDonald’s is in a kettle of fish. In 2002, a Wisconsin restaurant was closed temporarily after a 19-year-old staff member was hospitalized because of the virus.

Source-Medindia
SRI


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