An employee at the Big Carrot juice bar in Toronto was diagnosed with hepatitis A late last week. The employee is on leave recovering.
More than 260 people have been vaccinated for hepatitis after a scare at a Toronto juice bar prompted public-health concerns.
On Saturday, it was revealed that an employee at the Big Carrot on Danforth Avenue was diagnosed with hepatitis A. Toronto Public Health launched temporary clinics to vaccinate people against the virus. About seventy people had queued up to receive their shots at the Scarborough Civic Centre on Monday afternoon, while nearly 200 recent customers had showed up at the East York Civic Centre on Sunday.
"I think it's a very, very busy business. They serve quite a bit of juice," said Rita Shahin, an associate medical officer with Toronto Public Health who was at the clinic Monday. "I think there's some concern and people are taking advantage of the fact that we're providing the vaccine."
She added that the risk of exposure to the disease is low.
"We don't want to create hysteria, but we also know that it's very important that people know what's happened," said Sarah Dobec, a public relations co-ordinator for the Big Carrot.
On Monday, the store also emphasized that it was a "very low-risk situation."
People can be infected with hepatitis A if they consume contaminated food handled by a server with the virus. The World Health Organization recommends people practise regular hand-washing to prevent infection. The liver disease is not as serious as hepatitis B or C, and most people recover fully after four to six weeks.
A Toronto Public Health notice urged recent customers who consumed fresh juice at the juice bar to check for any signs and symptoms, including fever, nausea and tiredness.
The juice-bar employee, who is on leave recovering, is believed to have contracted the disease while on vacation, said Ms. Dobec. "This isn't a reflection of the sanitation practices of the Big Carrot," she added.
The juice bar serves a "few hundred" people a day, Ms. Dobec says.
Anna Drandic had been a regular at the Big Carrot. She decided to take the vaccine as a precautionary measure because she bought juice there during the risk period. "There's no risk to getting vaccine. If there's any risk to bring exposed … just go and get it," Ms. Drandic said.
But she's in no hurry to go back to the Big Carrot, adding that she might "take a break" from the juice bar for a bit.
Lea Amaral, a long-time regular who owns a business down the road, said the store had taken proper measures to deal with the situation.
"Because I travel, I have my hepatitis vaccination up to date, so yeah, I'm not afraid," she said outside the store Monday afternoon.
"I think as people kind of settle down and, you know, think about it and read more, you know – perhaps do some research about hepatitis A – then they'll probably realize that it's nothing to worry about."
The Big Carrot has no previous health infractions, Toronto Public Health confirmed. No case of hepatitis A has been detected among the clientele thus far.