Tamashiro worker becomes seventh food handler to contract hepatitis A
Another food handler has come down with hepatitis A, this time a worker at Tamashiro Market in Kalihi-Palama, which is renowned for its fresh fish.
The Health Department announced the case this afternoon. No food handlers or businesses are sources of the disease so far, but their cases are being made public to spur prevention efforts, including vaccination.
“Tamashiro Market is not at fault for this, but given that much of what is sold there is typically prepared and purchased raw, it is important to inform the public of possible exposure,” said State Epidemiologist Dr. Sarah Park. “This business understands that public health is our primary concern, and they have been working with us to help prevent new cases.”
The employee is the seventh food handler statewide to contract hepatitis A out of the total 135 cases reported in the current outbreak, which is the worst in nearly two decades. The employee worked at Tamashiro from July 2 to 23.
The supermarket’s president Cyrus Tamashiro says he closed the store today and sent all the food handling employees to be tested for hepatitis A. He says none of the food handling employees will be allowed to return until they have tests to show they’re free of the virus.
The Health Department encouraged members of the public to contact their health care providers about getting vaccinated against the contagious liver disease.
The disease can be spread through contaminated food or drink, or close personal contact. Symptoms of hepatitis A include fever, fatigue, loss of appetite, abdominal pain, dark urine, diarrhea and yellow skin and eyes.
Vaccination provides the best protection. Frequent, thorough handwashing with soap also prevents the spread of the virus.
More information and a list of pharmacies offering vaccinations is online at health.hawaii.gov.
27 responses to “Tamashiro worker becomes seventh food handler to contract hepatitis A”
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Well this just blows. As far as I’m concerned das da best poke on island. The State needs to get its act together and put an end to this pronto.
The vaccine costs $200, so people who should be getting it are not. The State needs to step in and require the insurance companies to cover the vaccine, or have the State pay the costs.
Huh? The insurance companies not covering it? You should call the pharmacies and check. I was told the insurance comps are covering cost of vaccine.
At Costco, if you’re a member, they said $65.
I’m eating spam and Vienna sausage in my doomsday bunker for 2 months.
Wash your hands people!
I guess when you go out around town shopping or whatever you have to wash your hands right after you come home. Sounds like going over board but you don’t know what you come in contact out there.
Hepatitis B (HBV) is 50 to 100 times easier to transmit sexually than HIV ( the virus that causes AIDS). HBV has been found in vaginal secretions, saliva, and semen. Oral sex and especially anal sex, whether it occurs in a heterosexual or homosexual context, are possible ways of transmitting the virus. (I just found this on Google Search engine).
Very interesting. The three types of Hepatitis are very different from each other.
I passed by Tamashiro this morning and saw a van blocking the entrance with a CLOSED sign. Now I know why. Shame such a bad things happen to nice food places. Wonder if this is the tipoff. Sea food. Raw kines like pokes that are processed into sashimi mixes with seaweed and other ingredients from questionable sources. I’m not worried. Already got Hep A and B shots back in 1989. First shot is followed by a second for an anamnestic response 6 moths later. Then no more for the rest of your life. If you can’t afford it then go to some community clinic like in Waikiki and see if you can get it free. Do you know you can get it by kissing?
I thought the shots wear off after 20 years or so? Am I wrong?
I got mine a few years back and just got tested to see if I need a booster. Nope, so all your poke belongs to me!
That is what I read. 20 years. If you got exposed to the virus, you have immunity for life.
Yippie, already got my Hep A vaccination from Longs this week, so I can eat as much onolicious Tamashiro’s aku poke that I want this weekend. Too bad the state DOH can’t put the brakes on this; what going happen when zika hits us?
They could but Democrats would never require that all food service workers must be vaccinated. Too burdensome for da businesses that they already gouge for taxes.
try wait..I was told the shots take 2 weeks to kick in.
I’ll play it on the safe side and won’t be patronizing these contaminated businesses for quite awhile.
who said they’re contaminated? you could get hepatitis A from anyone anywhere.
Exactly. Funny people avoid places that had but not places that haven’t had – yet anyway.
when going to the shopping center they always have disinfected wipes so you can clean the shopping cart or hand carry, all stores should have that.
One Hundred and forty Long line fishing vessels are staffed by illegal aliens that are smuggled into the United States. These men, over 1,000 of them are not test or seen by a federal immigration doctor as required by law. Boat are very unsanitary and men are confined at piers 18-21 and 36-38 in Honolulu Harbor for up to two years without medical or health inspections. Some of these vessels have no toilets or showers. People in the industry have been concerned about this and it was just a matter of time. Detained unlawful aliens should be medically checked by the State Department of Health or the Federal Immigration Service. Please have the State of Hawaii look into this situation. These people handle raw fish. Sad about Tamashiro. Tamashiro’s is usually one of the better places to get raw fish.
Good point!
raw virus, raw food. Not good.
@ Aloha – Apparently you get raw okole after you catch the virus.
I thought food handlers were required to have immunizing shots in order to be employed. If they don’t, they need to start.
Nobody, especially the government, is saying a thing about the elephant in the room, namely the homeless and the lack of sanitation some of them maintain.
Stories in this rag have quotes from homeless people stating that they save urine and feces, or just dump it wherever they are, including major thorofares.
It seems like our “educated” elite betters are having trouble connecting the dots. Or they are outright lying to us because they know what news of this will do to the golden goose when news that the Hepatitis outbreak was cause by government inaction on the homeless.
Much talk about personal cleanliness, yet nothing mentioned about equipment cleanliness! Knives especially near the handle are hard to clean.