Hepatitis A Cases Among Food Handlers: A Local Health Department Response-New York City, 2013

J Public Health Manag Pract. 2017 Nov/Dec;23(6):571-576. doi: 10.1097/PHH.0000000000000526.

Abstract

During 2013, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) received reports of 6 hepatitis A cases among food handlers. We describe our decision-making process for public notification, type of postexposure prophylaxis (PEP) offered, and lessons learned. For 3 cases, public notification was issued and DOHMH offered only hepatitis A vaccine as PEP. Subsequent outbreaks resulted from 1 case for which no public notification was issued or PEP offered, and 1 for which public notification was issued and PEP was offered too late. DOHMH continues to use environmental assessments to guide public notification decisions and offer only hepatitis A vaccine as PEP after public notification but recognizes the need to evaluate each situation individually. The PEP strategy employed by DOHMH should be considered because hepatitis A vaccine is immunogenic in all age groups, can be obtained by local jurisdictions more quickly, and is logistically easier to administer in mass clinics than immunoglobulin.

MeSH terms

  • Decision Making*
  • Disease Outbreaks / prevention & control
  • Food Services* / standards
  • Hepatitis A / drug therapy
  • Hepatitis A / epidemiology*
  • Hepatitis A Vaccines / therapeutic use
  • Humans
  • Local Government
  • New York City / epidemiology
  • Post-Exposure Prophylaxis
  • Public Health / methods*
  • Public Health / statistics & numerical data
  • Workforce

Substances

  • Hepatitis A Vaccines