Diners who ate food from Platinum Pizza in Buffalo between August 8 and August 11 may have been exposed to the hepatitis A virus
The Erie County Department of Health has identified a new case of hepatitis A in a local restaurant worker.
A disease investigation began on Tuesday, August 13 immediately after information about a suspected case was received from a local emergency department. Following extensive interviews and a restaurant inspection, ECDOH confirmed a diagnosis of hepatitis A in an individual who handled and delivered food at Platinum Pizza in Buffalo.
ECDOH is advising anyone who consumed food or drinks from Platinum Pizza (1575 Broadway, Buffalo, NY 14212) between Thursday, August 8, 2019 and Sunday, August 11, 2019 to receive hepatitis A vaccine at one of two hepatitis A clinics:
When: Monday, August 19 from 1-7 p.m. AND Tuesday, August 20 from 1-7 p.m.
Where: Erie County Training and Operations Center, 3359 Broadway, Cheektowaga, NY
Limited shuttle service will be available from the St. John Kanty Church parking lot at
101 Swinburne St. in Buffalo.
Pre-registration for vaccination is recommended but not required: https://health.ny.gov/gotoclinic/15.
This vaccine will prevent potentially exposed individuals from developing a hepatitis A infection. Those who develop symptoms suggestive of hepatitis A virus should seek medical evaluation from a health care professional.
Platinum Pizza has been notified of potential hepatitis A exposure, and ECDOH is working with restaurant management to vaccinate employees. Platinum Pizza will be subject to additional inspections from public health sanitarians with the ECDOH Division of Environmental Health over the coming weeks to monitor compliance with ECDOH recommendations.
“Hepatitis A cases are increasing throughout the country, and we know that this contagious disease is present in our community,” said Erie County Commissioner of Health Dr. Gale Burstein. “In Erie County, there have been 18 reported hepatitis A cases so far in 2019, following 32 new cases in 2018. Prior to that, we saw just two to four new cases of hepatitis A infections in 2015, 2016 and 2017.”
She continued, “We are providing this safe and effective vaccine for patrons who ate food or drinks at Platinum Pizza between Thursday, August 8 and Sunday, August 11, and it should also be available from primary care providers, occupational health care clinics and travel immunization clinics.”
“Because of the increase in reported hepatitis A infections, the Erie County Department of Health has been providing hepatitis A vaccinations to at-risk individuals in Erie County to decrease the risk of additional hepatitis A infections,” said Dr. Burstein. “We are repeating our recommendation that all Erie County residents, especially people who work in restaurants or food service, get the hepatitis A vaccine and complete the series.”
Hepatitis A: Marler Clark, The Food Safety Law Firm, is the nation’s leading law firm representing victims of Hepatitis A outbreaks. The Hepatitis A lawyers of Marler Clark have represented thousands of victims of Hepatitis A and other foodborne illness outbreaks and have recovered over $650 million for clients. Marler Clark is the only law firm in the nation with a practice focused exclusively on foodborne illness litigation. Our Hepatitis A lawyers have litigated Hepatitis A cases stemming from outbreaks traced to a variety of sources, such as green onions, lettuce and restaurant food. The law firm has brought Hepatitis A lawsuits against such companies as Costco, Subway, McDonald’s, Red Robin, Chipotle, Quiznos and Carl’s Jr. We proudly represented the family of Donald Rockwell, who died after consuming hepatitis A tainted food and Richard Miller, who required a liver transplant after eating food at a Chi-Chi’s restaurant.
If you or a family member became ill with a Hepatitis A infection after consuming food and you’re interested in pursuing a legal claim, contact the Marler Clark Hepatitis A attorneys for a free case evaluation.