POLONCARZ, BURSTEIN ANNOUNCE PUBLIC HEALTH CLINICS TO PREVENT HEPATITIS A OUTBREAK

Confirmed Case of Hepatitis A in Local Restaurant Worker; Low Risk that Patrons during Specific March Time Frame May Have Been Exposed

County Executive, Health Commissioner Outline Precautionary Public Health Clinics for Response

ERIE COUNTY, NY— Today, Erie County Executive Mark C. Poloncarz was joined by Erie County Health Commissioner Dr. Gale Burstein to announce two precautionary public health clinics being held by the Erie County Department of Health (“ECDOH”) in response to the recent identification of the hepatitis A virus in a local restaurant worker, a server at Casa di Pizza on Elmwood Avenue in Buffalo. The point-of-distribution (“POD”) clinics will allow ECDOH to provide post-exposure prophylaxis (“PEP”) to prevent infection to individuals who may have been exposed.

“The county is activating these response clinics to ensure any dining room patron who may have been exposed to hepatitis A can speak to qualified health care professionals about their chance of being infected and receive an immunization shot if necessary. It is another example of how our Department of Health safeguards the public’s health,” said Poloncarz. “While the risk of transmission is low, anyone who may have dined at the restaurant during the time in question should check their immunization status and come to the clinics if necessary.”

Dine-in patrons of Casa-di-Pizza during a specific time frame may have been exposed to hepatitis A virus,” stated Dr. Gale Burstein, Erie County Commissioner of Health. “Customers in the restaurant or banquet rooms are considered potentially exposed, not individuals who ordered take-out food or consumed food or drink from the bar. The risk of actually acquiring a hepatitis A infection from consuming food or drink at Casa-di-Pizza is extremely low,” emphasized Dr. Burstein. “Persons who have already completed the hepatitis A vaccine series are not at risk of developing hepatitis A virus infection from this potential exposure.”

Persons Who Dined in & Consumed Food/Drink from Casa-di-Pizza — only on the dates  below — are Candidates for Hepatitis A Vaccine or Immune Globulin:

Monday March 9, 2015 Tuesday March 10, 2015
Wednesday March 11, 2015 Thursday March 12, 2015
Friday March 13, 2015 Saturday March 14, 2015
Sunday March 15, 2015 Monday March 16, 2015
Tuesday March 17, 2015 Wednesday March 18, 2015
Thursday March 19, 2015

ONLY persons who consumed food/drink within the Casa-di-Pizza restaurant are affected.

NO take-out orders or bar food/drink were at risk.

The Hepatitis A vaccine or immune globulin is only effective within two weeks of exposure to the virus. Patrons who ate in Casa-di-Pizza restaurant or banquet room on the specified dates (and have not been previously vaccinated against hepatitis A) should receive the hepatitis A vaccine or immune globulin as soon as possible.

Point of Distribution Clinics

Monday, March 23, 2015         12 pm (noon) – 8:00 pm

Tuesday, March 24, 2015        8:00 am – 6:00 pm

Buffalo Niagara Convention Center 153 Franklin Street, Buffalo

Clinic Pre-registration is encouraged at  www.health.ny.gov/gotoclinic15 or attendees should bring their drivers’ license.