Clinic extends hours during Monroe hepatitis scare

12/29/2017

MONROE — The Monroe County Health Department has extended through Saturday afternoon a walk-in hepatitis clinic intended to vaccinate people who consumed food or beverages at a local Tim Hortons restaurant.

Two employees at the 404 S. Monroe St. restaurant have been diagnosed this month with hepatitis A, part of a broader outbreak in southeast Michigan since August, 2016.

Along with anyone who dined at the restaurant between Dec. 10 and Dec.28, food handlers and emergency responders are welcome to attend the clinic, which will be open from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at the health department, 2353 S. Custer Rd.

The hepatitis A vaccination is a two-dose series, administered six months apart, that becomes effective after about two weeks.

Hepatitis A is a viral liver disease that can spread through fecal matter, contaminated food and water, or sexual contact. Its symptoms, which typically appear within two to six weeks of exposure, include fatigue, poor appetite, stomach pain, nausea, dark urine, and jaundice.