Officials warn of possible hepatitis A exposure

King Soopers’ Wheat Ridge location may have exposed customers to hepatitis A, according to a news release from Jefferson County Public Health and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.

An employee at the supermarket tested positive for hepatitis A, a disease transmitted by eating food handled by the infected person. The King Soopers in question is at 5301 W. 38th Ave in Wheat Ridge.

Shoppers who purchased and consumed deli meats and cheese sliced on site from March 20 to 30, may have been exposed to the virus.

The incident is believed to be isolated and related to international travel.

The hepatitis A vaccine is highly effective, according to the health department. Regardless of your vaccination status, you should monitor for symptoms of infection if you are at risk of exposure. Some symptoms include fever, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, dark urine, clay-colored stool, and jaundice. If you were exposed and are not vaccinated, you can seek post-exposure prophylaxis.

“The good news is that infection with hepatitis A can largely be prevented even after direct exposure, through vaccination or, when indicated, post-exposure prophylaxis,” said Melanie Rogers, epidemiologist and lead infectious-disease investigator at the health department, in a news release. “Our department, in collaboration with other local public health agencies in neighboring communities, will be offering hepatitis A vaccines and PEP at no cost to those who think they may have been exposed. If you think you may be at risk, we encourage you to visit one of the available walk-in clinics.”

Officials say hepatitis A can incubate for up to 50 days after exposure, so people at risk should look for symptoms during that time.