My bet is Denny’s wishes it had provided hepatitis A vaccinations to employees.

Two employees at a Denny’s in Kissimmee have tested positive for hepatitis A and now, the Florida Department of Health is urging anyone who ate at the restaurant to get vaccinated.

The department’s Osceola County branch issued a news release Tuesday alerting the public that the two employees at the Denny’s at 2051 E. Irlo Bronson Memorial Highway in Kissimmee may have been infectious when they were working at the restaurant.

“This past weekend two employees at our Kissimmee, FL restaurant located at 2051 E. Irlo Bronson Memorial Highway were diagnosed with hepatitis A.  The diagnosis was immediately reported to the Florida Department of Health in Osceola County (FDOH-Osceola).  Denny’s immediately closed the restaurant and commenced both a cleaning process and food removal as required by the FDOH.  The restaurant was inspected by FDOH-Osceola inspectors and declared safe, and we are providing all Denny’s employees at the location with the hepatitis A vaccine.  The FDOH recommends that anyone who has questions or concerns about hepatitis A and their health to contact their county’s health department,” the statement read.

Health officials are asking anyone who ate or drank at the location between Oct. 24 and Nov. 1 to get a vaccination. Those who dined between Oct. 14 and Oct. 23 should monitor for symptoms, including abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting. Anyone who experiences those symptoms should seek medical attention.

Those who have already received the vaccine or who have had a past history of hepatitis A do not need to take additional action.

Certain people are more at risk for infection than others but anyone can get a vaccine just in case. People at increased risk include:

  • All children at age 1 year
  • People who are experiencing homelessness
  • Users of recreational drugs, whether injected or not
  • Men who have sexual encounters with other men
  • People with direct contact with others who have hepatitis A
  • Travelers to countries where hepatitis A is common
  • People with chronic or long-term liver disease, including hepatitis B or hepatitis C
  • People with clotting-factor disorders
  • Family and caregivers of adoptees from countries where hepatitis A is common

The disease is most commonly transmitted through the fecal-oral route, officials said. Symptoms include:

  • Jaundice (yellowing skin and whites of eyes)
  • Fever
  • Diarrhea
  • Fatigue
  • Loss of appetite
  • Nausea and vomiting
  • Stomach pain
  • Dark-colored urine
  • Pale or clay-colored stool

The Florida Department of Health in Osceola County, located at 1875 Fortune Road in Kissimmee, offers hepatitis A vaccines for free or at a low cost at its clinic from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays.

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.