Hepatitis Case Tied To Eatery Restaurant Popular With Hunters

Hundreds of hunters are among those who may have been exposed to hepatitis A at a rural Shoshone County restaurant.

The Panhandle Health District is recommending immune globulin shots for anyone who ate at Gloria’s Steak House on Oct. 22, 23, 24, 27 or 28. The restaurant is on Coeur d’Alene River Road at Prichard.

A food handler contracted the contagious virus. Her doctor reported it to the health district, said environmental health specialist David Hylsky.

The early symptoms of hepatitis A are similar to the stomach flu. Infected people may have a loss of appetite, fever, stomachaches, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and extreme tiredness.

In later stages, a liver infection may cause yellowing of the skin and eyes, dark urine and gray stools. Children often will have a milder case and fewer symptoms.

The virus can be transmitted by eating food handled by an infected person.

Immune globlin shots reduce the risk of contracting the disease. Hylsky advised people to contact their doctors. Or they can check with the health district, which offered shots on Wednesday and may do so again.

The cost of the shots depends on the weight of the patient. The average adult dose costs $15.

, DataTimes MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: SHOTS More information is available from Panhandle Health in Coeur d’Alene at (208) 667-3481 in Coeur d’Alene or Kellogg, (208) 786-7474.