Hepatitis A – Getty Images

The Los Angeles Public Health Department is looking into a recent Hepatitis A case traced to a local grocery store.

Officials say an employee at a Beverly Hills Whole Foods, located at 239 North Crescent Drive, tested positive for the virus.

The employee worked at the seafood counter, prompting Public Health to recommend that anyone who purchased products from the seafood counter section of the store between April 20 and May 13 to receive hepatitis A vaccine if they are not already immune.

This is the second time in recent days that L.A. County officials are warning the public about Hepatitis A. Public Health says multiple unhoused individuals tested positive for the virus since mid-March.

Hepatitis A impacts the liver and is spread from person to person, many of whom don’t know that they have the virus. Medical officials can only diagnose the infection through a person’s blood or stool.

Although the current risk to the public is low, Public Health recommends residents take the following actions to help prevent the spread of disease:

• Check if you have been vaccinated for hepatitis A. If you haven’t, contact your medical provider to determine if you should be vaccinated. Vaccination is the best way to prevent hepatitis A.
• Wash your hands with soap and water before eating and preparing food and after using the bathroom.

Hepatitis A can range from a mild illness lasting a few weeks to a severe illness lasting several months. Symptoms of hepatitis include fever, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, dark urine, or yellow eyes/skin. Although rare, hepatitis A can cause death in some people.