Toronto Public Health says an employee at a juice bar on the Danforth has contracted hepatitis A and is warning customers about a possible risk of infection.
Officials say while the risk is low, those who consumed juice at The Big Carrot, located at 348 Danforth Avenue, between March 17 and April 2, 2015 could have contracted the virus.
Toronto Public Health spokesperson Dr. Rita Shahin told CP24 Saturday that they are not sure how many customers came through the store during that time period.
"I think if people had just come in once, probably the risk is extremely low. The risk might be a little bit higher for people who come in on a regular basis," she said.
Symptoms of hepatitis A can begin 15 to 50 days after becoming infected and include fever, tiredness, loss of appetite, nausea/ vomiting, dark urine, stomach pains and jaundice. Officials say the vaccine for the virus is most effective if you receive it within 14 days of exposure.
Toronto Public Health will be holding a free hepatitis A vaccine clinic from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. on April 12 at the East York Civic Centre, located at 850 Coxwell Avenue, for anyone who thinks they may have been exposed to the virus at the organic juice bar.
"Hepatitis A is a virus that affects the liver and it is usually transmitted by the fecal-oral route," Shahin said.
She said the virus is often spread if somebody doesn’t wash their hands carefully after going to the bathroom or if food that they eat is contaminated.
"A lot of people pick it up because they have travelled to countries where the food or the water may not be clean," she said.
Shahin says Toronto Public Health has inspected the store and has no concerns about further transmission.
"I can’t speak to the specifics of the case but what is often an issue with hepatitis A is that people aren’t aware they have it while the are communicable to others," Shahin said.
In a notice posted on the store's front door, staff say that one of the employees likely contracted hepatitis A while travelling outside the country.
Sarah Dobec, a spokesperson for The Big Carrot, told CP24 that the store is working closely with public health to deal with the situation.
"... for the public, they should know because it is important to know about symptoms," Dobec said.
"If you did frequent our juice bar between March 17 and April 2 and you are feeling unwell then you should either talk to public health or your health care provider and go from there."
Dobec said the store always follows standard health procedures.
“Hand-washing is obviously number one. Just general use of all the protocols from public health for using the right cleaners and that sort of thing daily," she said.
“We always pass our public health tests and inspections."
