If you or someone you know ate at Nordstrom Cafe at Stonestown Galleria on April 16, 17, 18, 20, or 27, there is a risk of contracting typhoid fever — eek. A restaurant worker has been diagnosed with the infectious disease. Full press release and more info from the SF Department of Public Health below:
Typhoid Fever in Restaurant Worker
Department of Public Health Issues Alert for Customers Who Ate at Nordstrom Café in Stonestown Galleria
San Francisco, CA—Officials at the San Francisco Department of Public
Health announced today that a local restaurant food handler was diagnosed
with typhoid fever. The public health investigation is ongoing, but based
on current information, health officials believe the infectious disease was
acquired by the food handler during a trip outside of the United States.
Anyone who ate at the Nordstrom Cafe within the Nordstrom store in the
Stonestown Galleria in San Francisco on April 16, 17, 18, 20, or 27, 2013
may be at risk. Health officials advise these individuals to see a
healthcare provider right away if they start to experience symptoms such as
fever, weakness, stomach pains, headache, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or
loss of appetite. In some cases a rash of flat, rose-colored spots may
appear. Symptoms usually begin within 8 to 14 days after exposure, but
could potentially appear for up to 30 days.
“Unfortunately, symptoms of typhoid fever can resemble other illnesses,”
said Tomás J. Aragón, MD, Health Officer for City & County of San
Francisco. “Persons who are at risk because they dined at the Stonestown
Nordstrom Cafe on one of those dates should see a healthcare provider right
away if they are feeling unwell, and should tell their physician that they
may have been exposed to typhoid fever. There is testing and effective
treatment available. If you suspect you have typhoid fever, do not prepare
food or drink for anyone and do not care for young children, hospitalized
patients, or persons with weakened immune systems.”
Typhoid fever is an illness caused by the bacterium Salmonella enterica
serotype Typhi. Although death is uncommon, typhoid fever can be severe
and life-threatening. In the United States, 300-400 cases of typhoid fever
occur each year, and most of those are acquired during international
travel. People are at risk of typhoid fever if they eat food or drink
beverages that have been handled by someone who has typhoid fever, or if
sewage contaminated with the bacteria gets into the water supply used for
drinking or food preparation. Typhoid fever is still common in the
developing world, where it affects about 22 million people and causes about
200,000 deaths.
The only way to know if an illness is typhoid fever is by testing samples
of stool, blood, and urine for the presence of Salmonella enterica serotype
Typhi. Typhoid fever can be successfully treated with appropriate
antibiotics, and persons given antibiotics usually begin to feel better
within 2 to 3 days. Although untreated typhoid can potentially be fatal,
deaths from typhoid fever are uncommon in the United States. However,
persons with typhoid fever who do not get treatment can continue to have
fever and feel unwell for weeks or months. Even if their symptoms go away,
persons with typhoid fever may continue to pass typhoid bacteria to others,
and so they should not handle food or care for children, hospitalized
persons, or those with weakened immune systems until further testing proves
that typhoid bacteria are gone from the body.
Nordstrom at Stonestown Galleria is cooperating with the Department of
Public Health in the investigation to ensure that the public and their
workers are informed and protected.
For more information about typhoid fever, go to
http://www.cdc.gov/nczved/divisions/dfbmd/diseases/typhoid_fever/