Hepatitis A is out of control in Florida — here’s why the state isn’t telling you about every case

floridapolitics.com ^ | June 9, 2019 | Noah Pransky

[BenLurkin]

With Hepatitis A cases skyrocketing across Florida, reported cases among food workers are also on a steep rise. That’s creating a real public health issue, as ingesting the virus through food or water is the easiest way to contract it.

Yet the DOH chooses not to notify the public of some food worker cases, according to a spokesperson, as the agency weighs the risk to patrons against the risk of a public health scare.

In the case of this grocery store employee last week, who was hospitalized after symptoms worsened over the course of several days, the DOH determined there was “no risk” to customers or even many employees at the store, according to a spokesperson for the grocery chain.

However, neither the DOH nor the Florida Department of Agriculture would answer questions or provide public records this past week about their joint investigation. Only after days of pressure from a reporter did the DOH acknowledge its investigation was not exempt from public record; however, none were provided as of Saturday.

Tampa Bay is ground zero for the epidemic, with cases of the liver virus particularly prevalent in Pinellas, Hillsborough, Pasco and Hernando counties.

[frank ballenger]

If the truth gets out that Michael Savage (long,long promoter of the truth about this) is right and illegals are spreading viruses including the polio like paralysis one,antiobiotic resistant infections,viruses, TB and measles to school children and to food workers, will there be anti-immigrants riots?

History books detail many in the US and all over the world. This disease element or the next big 9/11 (nuclear or biological warfare) may set off the riots.

Legal immigrants get medical checkups before being cleared. Illegals are definitely NOT given checkups. Unfair to ask them as they rush over the border to the welfare signup office.

Dems,Soros,CNN,MSNBC on one side and good people on the other.

[orlop9]

Same with vibrio, not that it’s being imported by illegals, but, according to The Govt, we don’t need to know.

[bgill]

Thank you, Mexico and demonrats.

https://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/hav/afaq.htm - "Most people who get hepatitis A feel sick for several weeks, but they usually recover completely and do not have lasting liver damage. In rare cases, hepatitis A can cause liver failure and death; this is more common in people older than 50 and in people with other liver diseases."

"Hepatitis A usually spreads when a person unknowingly ingests the virus from objects, food, or drinks contaminated by small, undetected amounts of stool from an infected person. Hepatitis A can also spread from close personal contact with an infected person such as through sex or caring for someone who is ill."

"Contamination of food (this can include frozen and undercooked food) by hepatitis A can happen at any point: growing, harvesting, processing, handling, and even after cooking."

"Although anyone can get hepatitis A, in the United States, certain groups of people are at higher risk, such as: ... Men who have sexual contact with men"

"The hepatitis A virus is able to survive outside the body for months. High temperatures, such as boiling or cooking food or liquids for at least 1 minute at 185°F (85°C), kill the virus, although freezing temperatures do not."

[ptsal]

What is the agency thinking?
:::::::::::::::::;;:;;;;;,;;;;,;;;

the agency weighs the risk to patrons against the risk of a public health scare

[bgill]

The DOH determined there was “no risk” to customers or even many employees at the store

Suuuure.

This is reason #392 not to eat out and reason #154 why I wash my hands when coming in from the grocery store, wash them again when I'm finished putting the food away, wash produce before eating and wash hands frequently when preparing food. There are just too many illegals here now to trust they don't have some turd world disease.

[LegendHasIt]

Florida, Again...

But then, if it isn’t becoming epidemic in every state that is welcoming hordes of third-worlders, it soon will be.

[Colt1851Navy]

I’ll have a Big Mac, ah, never mind I’ll run home and fix a grilled cheese.

[Styria]

You can also get hepatitis A from well water. It’s more of a sanitation issue than an illegals issue.

[ConservativeMind]

You can only get Hep A from well water IF your septic tank was being filled with Hep A poop over the prior four months; if a flood caused someone else’s Hep A poop to get into your well water; or if your well water otherwise shares its strata of fresh water with the Hep A poop from far away, but which flows to your well water within four months via currents.

[sparklite2]

here’s why the state isn’t telling you about every case

---

Thank god for that. I don’t want to hear about every case.

[Kickaha]

Many illegal aliens cannot even spell saneamiento.

[mewzilla]

Viral Hepatitis Surveillance Guild lines from the CDC

Does Florida participate? If not, someone needs to have a chat with DeSantis. STAT.

[NonValueAdded]

It used to be that you needed a TB test to work in the food service industry. Is that still the case? Why not a Hep A test? A vax certificate?

[MHGinTN]

Political correctness ... the gift of the demon rats to the Republic they hate and are working to destroy. Truth hurts