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Hollywood luminaries in hepatitis A scare |
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Written by Simon Jones
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Thursday, 01 March 2007 |
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A party thrown by the Sports Illustrated magazine in honor of its annual swimsuit issue turned nasty as it has emerged that a member of the catering staff was infected with hepatitis A thus putting all the guests at risk. Among the well-known names that graced the party is singer Beyonce Knowles, who is the featured model on SI's cover.
Celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck catered the do and is thought to have employed the infected worker at 14 other parties. Hepatitis A is a serious liver disease that might be fatal if untreated. That is why officials from the Los Angeles County health department have urged all those who attended the parties to get vaccinated immediately.
Those at high risk are people who consumed raw treats like sushi and fresh vegetables. The vaccine is effective at preventing illness only if administered within 14 days after exposure. Wednesday was the last possible vaccination day for those who attended the SI party.
Other noted guests at the SI do included Veronica Varekova, Bar Refaeli, Yamila Diaz-Rahi, Marisa Miller and Ana Beatriz Barros. In response to the alert, Sports Illustrated issued a statement saying that it was closely monitoring the situation, "We are alerting our guests and staff as quickly as possible to ensure they receive the relevant health warnings," the magazine added.
Celebrity website TMZ.com reports that some of the guests at the other events catered by the infected worker include directors George Lucas and John Landis and Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak.
Hepatitis A is a liver disease that is caused by a virus bearing the same name. The disease is spread by close contact with an infected person or eating food and drinking water that is already contaminated with the virus. Some of the common manifestations of the disease include loss of appetite, fever, fatigue nausea, mild jaundice, severe stomach pains and diarrhea.
The CDC says that infected persons are usually hospitalized for treatment. Fatalities from the condition are known to occur with about 3-5 deaths per 1,000 cases.
Hepatitis A vaccine has the ability to prevent the appearance of the symptoms if it is given within 14 days after exposure. The vaccine is usually given in two doses administered six months apart. But it must be noted that Hepatitis A can be prevented by good hygiene and sanitation.
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Last Updated ( Thursday, 01 March 2007 )
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