Shoppers at Hansen's IGA in Mondovi at risk for hepatitis A - WQOW TV News 18

Buffalo County (WQOW) – If you have shopped at Hansen’s IGA in Mondovi in the past month, you may be at risk for hepatitis A.

The Buffalo County Health Department has confirmed a food service worker at the grocery store tested positive for hepatitis A.

The health department is recommending anyone who purchased items from the deli at the store between October 28 and November 17 to contact a doctor to talk about their risk of exposure to Hepatitis A and options for vaccination if you are not already vaccinated.

Symptoms of hepatitis A include stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, dark urine, clay-colored stool, fever, chills and jaundice. You can start seeing the symptoms anywhere from 15 to 50 days after exposure and they can last for several weeks or months.

The health department says most people can recover from hepatitis on their own but sometimes people need to be hospitalized. Antibiotics do not work.

So, how can you prevent getting hepatitis A?

The health department recommends getting vaccinated, washing your hands, not eating undercooked or raw shellfish and not preparing food for others if you are sick.

“There is a low risk in this case because in a food setting, preparing foods, you wash hands, you use gloves, that kind of thing. Sometimes people are considered infectious when they do not even know they are sick,” said April Loeffler with the Buffalo County Health Department.

If you do not have insurance, the hepatitis A vaccine is available at the Buffalo County Health Department at 407 S. 2nd Street in Alma.

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