Richmond restaurant employee diagnosed with hepatitis A

RICHMOND, Ky. (WTVQ) – The Madison County Health Department is reporting a food handler at a Richmond restaurant has been diagnosed with hepatitis A.

The health department says the employee worked while sick at Sonny’s BBQ on Center Drive in Richmond between November 18th – December 1st.

According to the health department, the risk of infection for customers who ate at Sonny’s BBQ during that time is very low. However, they do advise those customers watch for signs and symptoms of hepatitis A until January 20, 2019.

Sonny’s is said to be fully cooperating with local and state health officials.

Since October, the Madison County Health Department has been recommending hepatitis A vaccination for everyone in the community as the number of cases in the county, region and throughout the state continues to climb.

Madison County Health Department declared county wide outbreak status on October 24th.

Sonny’s BBQ released a statement regarding the hepatitis A case involving one of its employees:

[su_quote cite=”Sonny’s BBQ”]At Sonny’s BBQ, the health and safety of our guests and employees are our top priorities. Amid the current hepatitis A virus (HAV) outbreak in Kentucky, our team is and has been taking necessary precautions by reinforcing sanitation protocols with team members and requiring any team members who are experiencing symptoms to stay home and seek immediate medical attention.
On December 7, we were notified by ACG BBQ LLC, a licensed franchisee, that lab results for one team member at the Richmond Sonny’s BBQ came back positive for hepatitis A. The team member has not been in the restaurant since December 1.
Upon receiving the lab results, ACG BBQ LLC immediately notified the Madison County Health Department and is closely following all recommended procedures to protect guests and team members. The restaurant, which most recently received a 96 out of 100 for safe food handling on its health inspection, was promptly sanitized.
As an added precaution, ACG BBQ LLC is covering the costs for vaccines for all part-time and full-time team members at all Kentucky Sonny’s BBQ locations. Should guests have any questions or concerns, we welcome them visit the Kentucky Department for Public Health website for more information.
We are working diligently to ensure the safety of our guests and employees, and we are committed to doing our part to keep everyone safe.[/su_quote]