Los Angeles County health officials are investigating a reported case of hepatitis A in an employee at a Whole Foods supermarket in Beverly Hills and are warning of possible exposure of the public to this highly contagious liver infection.
Officials warned that anyone who purchased products at the Crescent Drive supermarket's seafood counter between April 20 and May 13 could be affected and urged those not yet immune to hepatitis A to get vaccinated as soon as possible. .
The virus has also recently been found among members of the county's homeless population.
Hepatitis A is found in the stool and blood of infected people and can be spread between people even before they develop symptoms, which include fever, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, dark urine, and yellowing of the eyes and the skin.
“Receiving the vaccine as soon as possible after exposure could help reduce the risk of developing hepatitis A infection,” the county Department of Public Health said in a statement. “Residents should contact their local pharmacy or medical provider to receive the vaccine.”
Whole Foods said it was working closely with the department.
“The diagnosed team member is not working and we are not aware of anyone else becoming ill,” the company said in a statement. “While we have strict food safety processes in place in our stores, we encourage anyone who believes they may have been exposed to follow the health department's guidance.”
While no other infections linked to the Whole Foods case have been reported, county health officials said this week they have identified an outbreak of five hepatitis A cases since March among homeless people.
Officials said the risk to the general public is “low,” but urged anyone who may have been exposed to check to see if they have been vaccinated.
Homeless people are at higher risk of contracting the virus due to less access to sanitation and hand-washing facilities, officials said.
The last known hepatitis A outbreak in California occurred between 2016 and 2018, primarily among people who were homeless or using drugs in settings with limited sanitation. In San Diego, which also experienced a hepatitis A outbreak in 2017, health officials last year reported an increase in cases among homeless people.
Times staff writer Rubén Vives contributed to this report.
