Hepatitis A—On the Upswing

We all know that the leading cause of foodborne illness is norovirus, but there is another virus that should also be of concern to everyone–hepatitis A.  According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, since 2016 29 states have reported nearly 25,000 hepatitis A illnesses with 60% requiring hospitalization and 244 deaths.  The number of cases increased nearly 70% between 2016 and 2017.  This uptick in cases is cause for concern for everyone–state and local health departments, healthcare professionals, individuals, and for those of us in foodservice.

So just what is hepatitis A?  It is a virus that is carried by humans and animals.  Like other viruses, hepatitis A requires a living host in order to grow.  People can contract hepatitis A from water, food, or a contaminated surface.  Those at most risk are individuals who use drugs, experience unstable housing or homelessness, are incarcerated, or have chronic liver disease.  Hepatitis A results in liver disease, noted by the appearance of jaundice at advanced stages of the disease.  Typically there are no long-term effects of hepatitis A but an individual can continue to be a carrier for some time.

What can you do to prevent getting the viral liver disease?  Like many other battles, the best defense is a good offense. The best strategy is to get vaccinated for the virus.  Consult a physician about the use of vaccination as a preventative measure.  If you know you have come in contact with a person with hepatitis A or live in an area experiencing an outbreak, we strongly encourage you to consider having a conversation with your physician. If you have been exposed, the vaccine is effective for up to two weeks following the exposure.

When epidemiologists examine investigation reports, the cause of the hepatitis A incident or outbreak cannot always be identified.  One example of a current hepatitis A outbreak was tracked back to blackberries (although we don’t know if it was due to water, human contact, or something else).  Blackberries sold in two stores in six Midwestern states resulted in 18 people contracting hepatitis A.  The distributor services 11 states, so more states may be involved.  The berries were sold in September 2019, but as late as mid-November two new cases were identified.  You might wonder why it took from September until November for cases to be identified in a product that is perishable.  Two reasons may explain:  first, some people may have frozen the berries for use later. (Contrary to popular thinking, freezing does not kill viruses or bacteria, it simply slows growth). Second, it may take up to 50 days or more for symptoms to appear in a person and for the virus to be identified.  Because of the possibility of freezing, additional cases are expected before the outbreak is over. 

Hepatitis A causes a serious illness, and it is important to understand what it is and how to mitigate its impact.  Be sure to read our second blog this month to get more information on mitigation strategies that can be used in retail foodservices, and in our personal lives.  Also, be sure to tune in to the January SafeBites  webinar on January 21 to learn more.  Risk nothing!

Meat Color and Doneness: Persistent Pinking

Late in June, my family and I were able to visit the Black Hills, an area of the country in which I have not had the opportunity to spend much time.  One evening, as we dined at a local restaurant, I observed a table across the dining room sending back a dinner.  While I couldn’t hear the entire conversation and I certainly wasn’t trying to eavesdrop, it was apparent that the customer was unhappy with the cooking of their hamburger and was sending it back because it was too pink in the middle.  That immediately brought to my mind the phenomenon known as persistent pinking.  A term I became familiar with because of work done by some colleagues here at Kansas State, which they present each summer to a group of foodservice operators who join us on-campus for an in-depth week-long look at all things food safety.

Quat Binding – Why this Can Have a Disastrous Impact on Your Sanitation Program.

In June, I had the opportunity to represent FoodHandler and speak on food safety behavior for customers of Martin Bros. Distributing in Waterloo, Iowa.  One of the questions that was asked caught me a little off guard. The question was about quat binding.  It caught me off guard not because it was a bad question, but only because it was not something I had previously been asked nor had not yet been exposed to the phenomenon. However, I soon learned that in certain jurisdictions, it is resulting in changes to how sanitizing cloths are to be stored in sanitizing buckets (or not) in the foodservice industry. When I returned home from the trip, I had to dig into it to learn about what quat binding is and how it might impact foodservice operations.

Are Grades for Foodservice Inspections a Good Idea?

I generally try to stay away from controversial topics in my blog, but this is one I thought it might be interesting to discuss. Occasionally on my travels, I will come across a state or a local jurisdiction that requires foodservice inspection scores be posted in the window of the establishment.  The idea is to allow would-be customers the ability to see how the foodservice operation in which they are about to eat scored on their latest health inspection.