PROVO — The Utah County Health Department added Tabitha’s Way Local Food Pantry South County in Spanish Fork to its list of food establishments with possible hepatitis A exposure, the agency said Thursday.

Utah County Health Department spokeswoman Aislynn Tolman-Hill said food was donated to the pantry by the Spanish Fork Olive Garden, which was listed as a location with possible hepatitis A contamination earlier in the week. The food was donated from Dec. 28 to Jan. 3.

Tolman-Hill said patrons who received non-canned food from the pantry on those dates should visit the state's website to check if they need a vaccination to prevent hepatitis A. People can also call 801-851-4372.

"People in need of a vaccine must receive it within a short time period of their possible exposure, so it is essential that affected patrons visit the website or call the health department as soon as possible," Tolman-Hill said in a statement.

Hunter Robinson, Olive Garden communication manager, said the infected employee worked at the front of the building and did not touch the donated food. He said the restaurant prepares its food at the beginning of the day, bags it and any unopen bags from the day are donated.

However, since the restaurant donated the food during a period when the employee had hepatitis A, the state is urging caution.

Officials said on Tuesday that anyone who ate, drank or used the restroom at Sonic Drive-In from Dec. 23 and Dec. 24 or Olive Garden in Spanish Fork from Dec. 21 to Dec. 30 may have been exposed to hepatitis A.

Related Story:

Hepatitis A outbreak: What it is, what to do about it

Health officials in both Utah County and Salt Lake County are warning Utahns of an ongoing outbreak of hepatitis A, a highly contagious virus.

In addition to the three Utah County locations, a separate case of possible hepatitis A exposure was announced by Salt Lake County health officials on Sunday. The Salt Lake County Health Department said that any customers who bought hot food, fountain or self-serve beverages, or used the restroom at a West Jordan 7-Eleven convenience store from Dec. 26 to Jan. 3 may be at risk for the illness, as well.

The Salt Lake County Health Department believes the local cases have stemmed from Salt Lake City's homeless population and illicit drug users, who are particularly vulnerable because of a lack of access to sanitation and poor hygiene practices. Local tests have linked Utah cases to an outbreak in San Diego, where hundreds have become ill and dozens have died.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lists hepatitis A symptoms as including fever, fatigue, appetite loss, nausea and vomiting, abdominal pain, dark urine, clay-colored bowel movements, joint pain and yellowed skin.

Contributing: Ladd Egan

Related topics