Protecting families from contaminated food and water
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Protecting families from contaminated food and water
Posted in Hepatitis A,Outbreaks & Recalls on June 2, 2025
If you have recently eaten at Provincetown’s, The Red Inn restaurant, you may have been exposed to a dangerous virus.
Hepatitis A!
This potentially foodborne pathogen impacts the body’s digestive system and liver. It is highly contagious, so further spread is inevitable without certain precautions. Putting your loved ones, coworkers, and others at risk.
Here’s what we know about the hepatitis A exposure at The Red Inn in Provincetown, Massachusetts and what you should know if you were exposed.
A State of Massachusetts Department of Health press release announced a serious hepatitis A exposure event that took place at The Red Inn restaurant in Provincetown.
According to the release, anyone who dined at The Red Inn in Provincetown between April 30, 2025 and May 15, 2025 may have been exposed to hepatitis A.
Hepatitis A Exposure
The Red Inn
15 Commercial Street, Provincetown
April 30 – May 15
Health officials indicate that if you dined at or ate food from The Red Inn during those dates, you should contact your healthcare provider.
Why is there a Hepatitis A exposure alert for this Provincetown restaurant?
Due to the highly contagious nature of the hepatitis A virus and the implications of such an illness spreading to others in food, hepatitis A is a reportable illness.
An infected food worker can easily spread the virus to countless people over a single shift. This creates a serious public health situation. When a food worker is diagnosed with an illness like hepatitis A, norovirus, or other foodborne pathogen, they must report it to their employer.
If the food worker was contagious while working prior to discovering the illness, public alerts like this go out. This allows those who may have been exposed to address their own potential illness risk or monitor for symptoms and take precautions.
When it comes to hepatitis A, people have a unique option.
Prophylaxis vaccination.
Those who are already vaccinated for the hepatitis A virus are already protected. The number of people vaccinated for this illness is growing.
This vaccine has been a recommended part of the childhood immunization schedule since 1991, making most people younger than 34 years old safe from exposure.
If you are not already vaccinated, there is hope.
Hepatitis A is one of the few viruses where you can get protection AFTER you are exposed.
If a hepatitis A vaccine is administered promptly (a minimum of two weeks after exposure), there is a significant chance that the exposed person will not become sick.
To help this prophylactic vaccine be more effective, certain groups of people may benefit from a type of immunoglobulin along with the vaccine. This is usually co-administered in those at higher risk for infection or more severe illness.
Talk to your healthcare provider about immunoglobulin WITH hepatitis A vaccine if you are:
Post exposure hepatitis A vaccination is very effective. In fact, more than 95% of adults and 97% of children develop protective antibodies within four weeks of a single dose.
Post Vaccination Hepatitis A Vaccination is Effective
95% of adults and 97% of children develop protective antibodies within a month of a single dose.
A typical hepatitis A vaccine protocol also includes an additional dose six months later.
If you receive the first dose of hepatitis A vaccine, be sure to follow up with the booster to ensure long-term protection.
If you have been exposed to hepatitis A at The Red Inn restaurant and are not vaccinated, Massachusetts Department of Health says you should monitor yourself for symptoms.
Adults and children often experience a different set of symptoms.
Common symptoms in adults may include:
Symptoms in young children, on the other hand, are very different. In many cases, children show no symptoms at all. In fact, studies have shown that around 70% of children younger than six years of age are asymptomatic. On the other hand, around 70% of older children and adults experience jaundice and/or other symptoms associated with hepatitis A virus infection.
The hepatitis A virus is highly contagious.
The virus is shed in the feces (poop) of those who are infected. This is how it spreads.
In fact, ineffective handwashing may even leave enough trace amounts of virus on an infected person’s hand that is sufficient enough to continue spreading the virus.
It only takes a microscopic amount of contaminated “matter” to transmit hepatitis A infection
An infected food worker could spread the virus to contact surfaces like door handles, cutlery or even food on your plate. You would have no idea if the food you consumed was contaminated. It won’t look, smell, or even taste differently.
It always surprises me to see the handwashing habits of others in public bathrooms.
I know I am a germ-phobe.
I do not deny it.
So, I probably wash my hands more than most people. I also probably put more thought into how and when to wash my hands than most people.
But people scare me.
I see people just run their hands under the water and wipe their hands on their pants to dry them. Some people only put soap and water on their fingertips, ignoring the rest of their hand. Many just walk right out of the door without looking at the sink. Or worse, put on make up or finger comb their hair. “Ma’am, I know what you just did in the stall next to me.” Wash your hands!
Protect yourself by effectively washing your hands.
Use soap and water. Lather up to your wrist. Get between your fingers, under your fingernails, the back of your hand. Everywhere! Sing the happy birthday song in your head twice. Out loud works too, but not necessary. Whatever it takes. Then thoroughly rinse. Rinsing off as you wash makes the task less effective.
You’ve got this! I believe in you!
If you ate food from The Red Inn restaurant in Provincetown, Massachusetts, and become infected with hepatitis A, you need an experienced Hepatitis A Lawyer.
The experienced Hepatitis A Lawyers at The Lange Law Firm have helped families with situations just like yours navigate the legal process and receive the justice they deserve.
The Lange Law Firm offers free consultations and can help you explore your legal rights. Reach out for your free consultation by phone at (833) 330-3663 or click here to email to go over the details of your situation.
By: Heather Van Tassell (contributing writer, non-lawyer)