(Hepatitis A) Outbreak continues to grow

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review ^ | 11/15/03 | Bill Zlatos

[Dane]

A rapidly spreading outbreak of hepatitis A claimed a third life Friday and has now infected 490 people, including more than 60 from out of state.

"This is definitely the largest hepatitis A food-borne-related outbreak," said Llelwyn Grant, a spokesman from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

[Dane]

Prayers for those families that have suffered a loss and for those infected.

[tioga]

claimed a third life Friday

RIP

[AmericanInTokyo]

This is sad and scary.

I am thankful I have been shot so full of anti Hep A and anti Hep B, and lots of other vaccines, in the last five weeks, due to travel to unsanitary third world areas. Kind of a relief that I have this is my system. I hope there is not a run on HepA serum; at any rate, this should also give us cause to pause a moment about unorderly, unchecked illegal immigration--although the article does not specifically mention that w/ respect to the Mexican restaurant but one can imagine this is not isolated. It sure is not in California, Arizona and New Mexico. Folks, There is a connection and a lesson to be learned. Same for tuberculosis and other diseases.

Legal immigration has a certain component to it about "Health Check" which crossing over the fence from Tijuana or being sealed in a container in China does not have. It really IS our choice as an advanced nation. Hope we learn our lessons........

[Glenn]

Let's hope it slows down. I live in Aliquippa and the three dead are all from here. Everyone has quit shaking hands when they meet.

The most disgusting thing is the rash of commercials by lawfirms that are playing 24x7 on radio. So much drama in them. Ugh.

[raybbr]

Possible suspects have ranged from employee hygiene...

If it came from an illegal alien working there do you think we will ever find out?

[BriarBey]

How does this disease work? Could this possibly be a bio-logical attack from Al-Queda, that we have been watching for?

[Hacksaw]

A law firm is already running commercials on KDKA for victims - and they don't even know the source yet.

[NY.SS-Bar9]

How does this disease work? Could this possibly be a bio-logical attack from Al-Queda, that we have been watching for?

Nope...just the resullt of uncontrolled immigration into this country from third-world countries with no concept of sanitation.

This is what happens when the people preparing your food have been smuggled into the country from someplace without indoor toilets.

But then these people help the economy by taking jobs no one else wants, right? /sarcasm

[Dane]

How does this disease work? Could this possibly be a bio-logical attack from Al-Queda, that we have been watching for?

This was reported earlier,

On Wednesday, Pittsburgh police alerted the state health department that a cook at the Beaver County Chi-Chi's had been arrested last week on the North Side with suspected bags of heroin and a syringe.

Police charged Cory G. Zuccaro, 26, of Aliquippa, on Oct. 29 with possession of heroin and drug paraphernalia, possession with intent to deliver and heroin delivery. Police charged Zuccaro's friend, William T. Stamm, 30, also of Aliquippa, with possession of heroin and paraphernalia

Link

[Dane]

although the article does not specifically mention that w/ respect to the Mexican restaurant but one can imagine this is not isolated

Chi-Chi's is an American owned chain restaurant with headquarters in Louisville. There are 4 or 5 in the Pittsburgh area. Haven't gone there in a long time, since I am addicted to Don Pablo's salsa and chips.

[CholeraJoe]

In most Hep A epidemics, the case/fatality ratio is 0.16%. In this one it's nearly 5 times that figure. Either there are more cases or this is an exceptionally virulent strain.

[EyesWideOpen]

"We have not pinpointed any exact source. Food is another possibility, as well as the fact that there have been other outbreaks of hepatitis A in other areas of the country."

I went to a Friday's restaurant last night in the Philly area and ordered the spinach dip... the waiter told me that they no longer serve that dish due to the Hep A outbreak.

If this is occurring in other parts of the country, it very well could be that its the food that's contaminated. My question is this... does anyone know if Hep A could be introduced deliberately into food, ie terrorism? I know there was a lot of concern about the water and food supply being a target for terrorists...

[christie]

There was an announcement on the radio last night warning that anyone who had eaten at the Elephant Bar in Sacramento might have been exposed to Hepatitis A from a employee who handled the food between October 29 and November 6.

[MissTargets]

"At this point in the investigation, our primary focus is on food,"

Green onions are suspect from the latest report.

[blam]

"Green onions are suspect from the latest report."

We get a lot of fresh vegetables from across the border now.

[Dane]

Green onions are suspect from the latest report

In fight against outbreaks, green onions present layered resistance

[blam]

"In fight against outbreaks, green onions present layered resistance"

Thanks, I think the market just fell through on green onions.

[Chad Fairbanks]

Bingo. Hepatitis and Intravenous drug use go hand in hand...

[Diddle E. Squat]

Sorry bub, but there are an awful lot of white, multi-generation Americans who don't wash their hands in restrooms and whose poor hygeine is just as likely to spread diseases like this. In fact some of those selfish idiots were bragging on pevious threads about not washing their hands. Kinda hard to pin their slovenliness on illegal immigration.