The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention identified a case of hepatitis A in a Portland food service worker.   

The individual worked during their infectious period at Green Elephant on Congress Street on the following dates:

• Sept. 21, dinner;
• Sept. 23, lunch and dinner;
• Sept. 24, dinner;
• Sept. 27, dinner only;
• Sept. 28, lunch and dinner;
• Sept. 30, lunch and dinner;
• Oct. 1, dinner;
• Oct. 4, dinner;
• Oct. 5, dinner.

“Anyone who dined in at this restaurant during these days could be at risk for hepatitis A infection,” the Maine CDC states. “Customers who purchased and/or ate takeout food or drink from this restaurant during these days are not known to have been exposed. The restaurant is working closely with Maine CDC and has reported no ongoing exposure after these dates.”

The announcement from the Maine CDC comes about two weeks since a possible exposure of hepatitis A occurred in a Lewiston restaurant.

Hepatitis A is a liver disease that can spread through person-to-person contact or by consuming contaminated food or water, according to Maine CDC. 

The Maine CDC asks that anyone who may have been exposed to contact their health provider.  

Those exposed to the virus can avoid getting sick if they are vaccinated within 14 days of exposure, Maine CDC stated. The vaccine is available for anyone without health insurance at certain facilities in Maine.

According to Maine CDC, those who were potentially exposed should:

• Discard any leftover food bought at Marco’s during the dates listed above;
• If eligible, get vaccinated; 
• Get vaccinated within 14 day if you ate or drank at Marco’s on the dates the employee worked – those who miss the window may still get vaccinated to protect against future exposure;
• For employees who worked in the restaurant during the above dates, get vaccinated within 14 days of their last date worked;
• Ask your health care provider if you need hepatitis A immune globulin (IG) in addition to hepatitis A vaccine as certain people may need both.

Those already vaccinated for hepatitis A are already protected and do not need additional doses, according to Maine CDC. 

Hepatitis symptoms include feeling tired, having low or no appetite, stomach pain, nausea, diarrhea, dark-colored urine, yellowing of the skin and eyes known as jaundice, fever and joint pain.

Symptoms begin 15–50 days after exposure and can range from mild to severe. People who get very ill may need to go to a hospital and their symptoms can last several months. Most children younger than six have mild or no symptoms.

“Cases of hepatitis A in Maine have remained elevated since an initial increase in 2019,” Maine CDC stated. “People at increased risk of becoming infected should protect themselves with a hepatitis A vaccine.”