Patrons of the Lee Street Lounge, located at 1111 Lee St., E., in Charleston, who ate food and had beverages during a Monday, Aug. 6, cookout at the facility may have been exposed to hepatitis A and should be vaccinated by Aug. 20. Vaccinations received within two weeks of exposure can prevent the liver disease. Those who participated in cookouts held July 23 and July 30 should monitor for symptoms. An individual associated with preparing the food has been diagnosed with Hepatitis A.
Hepatitis A vaccinations are available from the Kanawha-Charleston Health Department, the Putnam County Health Department and many pharmacies.
Hepatitis A symptoms include abdominal pain, dark urine, fatigue, fever, jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes), light-colored stools, loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting. If symptoms occur, seek medical attention.
West Virginia has been identified by the CDC as part of a multistate hepatitis A outbreak.
The Bureau for Public Health is providing free hepatitis A vaccine for high-risk groups in outbreak counties. Vaccinations are available to the following groups: homeless, close personal contact (including sexual) to someone who is homeless or using drugs, household contact to someone who is homeless or using drugs, exposure or contact to someone who has hepatitis A, food service workers, men who have sex with men, recently incarcerated and direct service providers to the homeless and people who use drugs. The health department screens for insurance eligibility before using the state-supplied vaccine.
Additional information can be found on the health department website www.kchdwv.org or by calling the health department at 304-348-8050.