Hepatitis A Infections Among Food Handlers in the United States, 1993-2011

Umid M Sharapov; Karine Kentenyants; Justina Groeger; Henry Roberts; Scott D Holmberg; Melissa G Collier

doi:10.1177/003335491613100107

Hepatitis A Infections Among Food Handlers in the United States, 1993-2011

Public Health Rep. 2016 Jan-Feb;131(1):26-9. doi: 10.1177/003335491613100107.

Authors

Umid M Sharapov¹, Karine Kentenyants², Justina Groeger², Henry Roberts¹, Scott D Holmberg¹, Melissa G Collier¹

Affiliations

¹ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Division of Viral Hepatitis, Atlanta, GA.
² Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Division of Viral Hepatitis, Atlanta, GA; Emory University, Rollins School of Public Health, Atlanta, GA.

Abstract

We reviewed news reports of hepatitis A virus (HAV)-infected food handlers in the United States from 1993 to 2011 using the LexisNexis® search engine. Using U.S. news reports, we identified 192 HAV-infected food handlers who worked while infectious; of these HAV-infected individuals, 34 (18%) transmitted HAV to restaurant patrons. News reports of HAV-infected food handlers declined from 1993 to 2011. This analysis suggests that universal childhood vaccination contributed to the decrease in reports of HAV-infected food handlers, but mandatory vaccination of this group is unlikely to be cost-effective.

MeSH terms

Food Handling* / statistics & numerical data
Hepatitis A / epidemiology*
Hepatitis A / etiology
Hepatitis A / prevention & control
Hepatitis A Vaccines / therapeutic use
Humans
Occupational Diseases / epidemiology*
Occupational Diseases / etiology
Risk Factors
United States / epidemiology

Substances

Hepatitis A Vaccines