A Cheektowaga, NY pizzeria, Doino’s Pizzeria Bar & Grille, has been identified as the source of an outbreak of 3 hepatitis A cases according to the Lancaster Bee. 

Erie County Executive Mark C. Poloncarz and Erie County Health Commissioner Dr. Gale Burstein announced Monday that an employee who handles food at Doino’s Pizzeria Bar & Grille, 2709 Harlem Road, Cheektowaga, was identified as being positive for Hepatitis A.

County health officials confirmed the case following an epidemiological investigation that was launched after the Erie County Department of Health received reports of three new Hepatitis A infections among Erie County residents.

The investigation included an inspection of the eatery and interviews of the restaurant owner and staff who work there. The establishment has been notified of the potential exposure, and the owner was advised to send any staff reporting of being ill for immediate Hepatitis A evaluation before returning to work.

Now, the ECDOH is advising anyone who ate food as a dine-in or takeout customer at Doino’s between Aug. 20, 2018, and Sept. 3, 2018, to monitor themselves and their families for symptoms for 50 days since consuming the food and to seek medical evaluation for Hepatitis A if they develop symptoms of this infection.

How does a food employee at a pizzeria pass hepatitis A along to patrons? Poor/no handwashing followed by handling ready-to-eat foods with bare hands is my guess.