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TPH is encouraging anyone who may have been exposed to the virus to get vaccinated as soon as possible. 

“Hepatitis A is transmitted from person to person by the fecal-oral route. It is found in the stool of a person infected with the virus. A common route of exposure is through food contaminated by infected food handlers. It is not spread by coughing or sneezing,” the release reads.

Diners who ate or drank at the restaurant on the afternoons or evenings of July 11, 12, 15 or 16 should watch for symptoms of infection and wash their hands often and thoroughly with soap and warm water.

TPH is hosting free Hepatitis A vaccine clinics for anyone who may have been exposed at on Friday from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturday from 4 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. The vaccine is most effective when received within 14 days of exposure, TPH said.

Hepatitis A can cause a liver infection and symptoms can last from a few days to several months, TPH warned. Symptoms can begin 15 to 50 days after becoming infected and can include fevers, tiredness, loss of appetite, nausea/vomiting, dark urine, stomach pains and jaundice. It is also possible to be infected and not have any symptoms.

In some situations, infection can be serious. Older people and those with chronic liver disease are at a greater risk of more serious illness, including hospitalization. Deaths from Hepatitis A infections are rare, TPH said, and infections do not develop into chronic hepatitis. Most people who are infected recover completely and develop lifetime immunity following infection.

Anyone experiencing symptoms of Hepatitis A should contact TPH at 416-338-7600 or speak with their primary health care provider.