Austin American-Statesman

Detroit probes hepatitis A case at Whole Foods store

Health officials looking into whether ill worker infected customer.

- By Claudia Grisales cgrisales@statesman.com Hepatitis A

Austin-based Whole Foods Market said Thursday it is working with health officials in Detroit after the discovery one of its workers there was diagnosed with hepatitis A.

Whole Foods said it reached out to Detroit health officials after learning about the worker’s illness, but it’s not clear if another case involving an area customer is connected to the store, officials said.

“After a team member in our Whole Foods Market store in Detroit was diagnosed with hepatitis A, out of an abundance of caution, we immediatel­y contacted the Detroit Health Department and began reviewing food logs and safety procedures,” Whole Foods said in a written statement. “While there is no definitive link that the second case is related to the occurrence in our store, we are cooperatin­g fully with the Detroit Health Department to ensure the safety of our customers and team members.”

In a statement Thursday, the Detroit Health Department said it was investigat­ing two hepatitis A cases and a potential link to prepared foods served at an area Whole Foods store. The store, which is at 115 Mack Ave., is in the midtown area of the Motor City. The initial case of hepatitis A was diagnosed in an employee who handles prepared foods at the store, followed by a second case involving a Detroit resident who ate food from that section of the store, Detroit health officials said.

“It is still unclear how either case was contracted,” Detroit health officials said. “However, given the theoretica­l risk that the second case may have contracted the disease from the food handler, the Detroit Health Department is recommendi­ng that anyone who may have consumed prepared foods at Whole Foods Detroit between October 6th and October 12th speak to a physician and seek preventive treatment.”

Whole Foods is a high-profile Austin company with 87,000 workers for 462 stores worldwide and about 2,500 employees in Central Texas.

The news sent the retailer’s

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from United States