COLUMBIANA COUNTY Patrons of Beaver Valley Mall Chi-Chi's are at risk

LISBON -- Columbiana County Health Commissioner Robert Morehead is advising anyone who ate at the Chi-Chi's Restaurant in the Beaver Valley Mall between Oct. 22 and Sunday to attend a clinic from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. today, Thursday or Friday at the Community College of Beaver County's Beaver Dome.
Morehead said the establishment has been shut down after several reported cases of Hepatitis A. He said an estimated 10 customers and 12 employees may be infected.
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported today that 26 more patrons have been diagnosed with the disease. Three are from Ohio, the newspaper said.
Morehead said the average incubation period for Hepatitis A is 28 days, but can be as long as 50 days or as brief as 15 days.
He said Hepatitis A is a liver disease caused by the Hepatitis A virus. People infected with the virus might not have any signs or symptoms of the disease.
A blood test is needed to determine if someone has Hepatitis A, Morehead said.
Pennsylvania state health officials said Tuesday that Hepatitis A is spread by eating something contaminated with the feces of someone with Hepatitis A. Symptoms include fever, nausea, diarrhea, dark urine, jaundice, fatigue, abdominal pain and loss of appetite.
The disease usually clears up in about two months, but some people are ill as long as six months.
Pennsylvania health officials said an injection of immune globulin, an antibody treatment, greatly reduces the chances of contracting the disease if given within 14 days after exposure.