By Lauren Burgess

After a recent case was reported in which a restaurant worker was diagnosed with hepatitis A in northwest Georgia, local health departments across the state are taking extra precautions.

It was reported last month that there has been a spike in cases in the northwest region of the state, focused around Fulton County, Augusta, and Macon. This marks over 300 cases of hepatitis A in Georgia since June 2018.

A number of these cases involve restaurant workers. While the risk of transmission of hepatitis A from restaurants is incredibly low, it is still possible. Local health departments are taking action to prevent further cases, urging restaurants to better monitor the health of their employees.

“There’s a responsibility for the restaurant workers as well as the restaurant management to kind of identify people who may be exposed to hepatitis or are ill with those symptoms,” said Joseph Sternberg, Director of Environmental Health and Injury Prevention for the Gwinnett, Newton, and Rockdale County Health Departments.