Protecting families from contaminated food and water
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Protecting families from contaminated food and water
Posted in Hep A,Hepatitis A,Our Blog,Outbreaks & Recalls on September 24, 2023
Oakland County Health Division is reporting a suspected case of hepatitis A associated with the Ivy Lounge at Pine Knob Music Theatre in Clarkston. Potentially thousands of concertgoers and workers at Pine Knob Music Theatre in Clarkston may have been exposed to hepatitis A during nine concerts spanning from late August to early September, Oakland County health officials said Thursday. Here is everything we know about this Pine Knob Music Hep A Outbreak:
The exposures occurred at Pine Knob’s Ivy Lounge between Aug. 26 and Sept. 8. Anyone who attended the following concerts is asked to monitor their health for hepatitis A symptoms:
Those who attended Jason Aldean’s Sept. 8 concert still have time to get a hepatitis A vaccine to protect themselves, said Dr. Russell Faust, Oakland County medical director.
“The window for vaccination to help prevent illness from hepatitis A is through (Sept. 23) for those individuals who attended the Jason Aldean concert and ate at the Ivy Lounge,” he said in a statement. “For anyone who is not vaccinated for hepatitis A, we encourage getting vaccination to protect against future exposures.”
The Health Division advises all season members, their guests, and staff who consumed food at the Ivy Lounge between Aug. 26 and Sept. 8 to monitor for symptoms and, if unvaccinated for hepatitis A, to get vaccinated as soon as possible.
“The risk of transmission in this specific situation is low,” said Dr. Russell Faust, Oakland County medical director. “If you have not been vaccinated, get vaccinated. If given within 14 days after exposure, the vaccine can prevent the disease.”
Unvaccinated people who were possibly exposed to hepatitis A from Sept. 1-8 at the Ivy Lounge are encouraged to receive the vaccine by the 14-day deadline. Below is a breakdown of exposure dates and recommended actions:
| Exposure Date | Recommended Action |
| Aug. 26 (Lynyrd Skynyrd concert) | Monitor for symptoms |
| Aug. 29 (Arctic Monkeys concert) | Monitor for symptoms |
| Aug. 30 (Foreigner concert) | Monitor for symptoms |
| Sept. 1 (Disturbed concert) | Get vaccinated by Sept. 15 |
| Sept. 2 (Beck and Phoenix concert) | Get vaccinated by Sept. 16 |
| Sept. 3 (Pentatonix concert) | Get vaccinated by Sept. 17 |
| Sept. 5 (Rob Zombie concert) | Get vaccinated by Sept. 19 |
| Sept. 6 (Smashing Pumpkins concert) | Get vaccinated by Sept. 20 |
| Sept. 8 (Jason Aldean concert) | Get vaccinated by Sept. 22 |
The Health Division is remaining open until 8 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 15, and hosting two special hepatitis A vaccine clinics from 10 a.m. to noon on Sept. 16 and Sept. 17 at the North Oakland Health Center, 1200 N. Telegraph Rd, Building 34E in Pontiac to accommodate those who need a hepatitis A vaccine. No registration is needed.
All individuals potentially exposed should watch for hepatitis A symptoms and contact their healthcare provider if they become ill to report they have a known hepatitis A exposure.
Hepatitis A is a viral infection of the liver. Symptoms include: loss of appetite, nausea, tiredness, fever, stomach pain, brown colored urine, and light-colored stools. The most notable symptom is yellowing of the skin or eyes. People can become sick up to seven weeks after exposure.
The virus usually spreads when a person unknowingly ingests the virus from objects, food, or drinks contaminated by small, undetectable amounts of stool from an infected person. This is spread when an infected person does not wash their hands effectively after using the toilet or engages in behaviors that could increase the risk of infection.
Once infected, relapse symptoms are likely. These relapses can continue for as long as 6 months. Fatality rates are low for this virus at 0.3% (increased to 1.8% for those over 50 years). Underlying chronic liver disease is a whole other story. This particular condition increases the risk of death.
How Does Hepatitis A Get Transmitted Through Food?
Transmission of hepatitis A occurs by what is known as fecal-oral route, often by direct contact with an infected person or by ingesting contaminated food or water. In other words, by infected poop. Microscopic and invisible traces of fecal mater are enough to transmit the virus and infect an unknowing host.
Some countries have a problem with hepatitis A contaminated with water. The United States doesn’t have this problem. In fact, most transmission is a result of food handler contamination. Many times the person spreading the virus does not even though that they have it. It takes a little bit of time for symptoms to appear.
Children, though not likely to be a food handler, often show no signs of symptoms. Less than 10% of children under 6 years show jaundice. Around 76 to 97% of young adults have symptoms and only around 40 to 70% are jaundiced.
If you have any questions about potential exposure to hepatitis A, call your health professional or your local or state health department. If you were recently exposed to hepatitis A virus and have not been vaccinated against hepatitis A, you might benefit from an injection of either hepatitis A vaccine or immune globulin. However, the vaccine or immune globulin are only effective if given within the first 2 weeks after exposure. A health professional can decide what is best based on your age and overall health.
Our mission is to help families who have been harmed by contaminated food or water. When corporations cause Hepatitis food poisoning outbreaks, we use the law to hold them accountable. The Lange Law Firm is one of the only law firms in the nation focused on representing families in food poisoning lawsuits.
If you got Hepatitis A from this Pine Knob Music Hep A Outbreak and are interested in making a legal claim for compensation, we can help. Our Hepatitis lawyer can help you pursue compensation for your Hepatitis A infection. Call us for a free no obligation legal consultation at (833) 330-3663 or send us an e-mail here.