MORGANTOWN — Ahmad Abulaban, who, along with his son, Bassam, owns Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, in Sabraton, said the restaurant has gone “above and beyond” health department requirements since being made aware of a positive hepatitis A test by a former employee.
“We hired a company, Panhandle Cleaning and Restoration, to come in and completely go through the restaurant with a deep clean,” Abulaban said. “We want to let everybody know we’ve gone above and beyond. This is something that we had no control over, but as soon as we were notified, we began to take action.”
The Monongalia County Health Department issued a press release on Wednesday notifying the public of the confirmed test of a food worker.
MCHD Spokesperson Mary Wade Triplett said all but one of the restaurant’s employees had been vaccinated as of Thursday afternoon. Employees cannot return to work without receiving the vaccination.
“An MCHD environmental health registered sanitarian will return to Popeyes Friday morning to conduct a re-inspection to follow up after the inspection that was performed on Monday,” Triplett explained.
Abulaban said he was not aware of the positive test until the health department showed up at the store, located at 1589 Earl Core Road.
“We were not notified that the employee tested positive. The hospital sent him with a letter saying he could come back to work on Nov. 4, but they did not say what the problem was, the symptoms or none of that. They didn’t tell us,” he said. “So I came in the other day and I find the health department there. I ask what’s going on and they told me. That was the first I knew about it.”
Triplett explained that the MCHD was notified of the positive test by a hospital.
Abulaban said the restaurant employees 35 people and takes the safety of its employees and customers very seriously.
“This was not our fault. How the employee came in contact with that has nothing to do with us. The store is not responsible for that. I want people to know it had nothing to do with what we’re doing at the restaurant,” Abulaban said. “We want to let the public know that we’ve done everything we can so there’s no fear of eating there.”
Triplett explained that there is no requirement that food workers be tested for hepitis A, either prior to or during employment.
According to the MCHD’s original press release, the risk of contracting hepatitis A from a food worker is low, but people who have not been vaccinated against hepatitis A who have consumed food from the restaurant within the past two weeks should consider getting a hepatitis A vaccine to prevent infection.
According to the MCHD, the employee worked at Popeyes while potentially contagious between Sept. 30-Oct. 16. That means people who ate food from the restaurant starting Oct. 9 can still benefit from the hepatitis A vaccine. If vaccinated within two weeks of being exposed, it can prevent hepatitis A infection.
Abulaban refutes those dates, explaining the employee hasn’t been at the store in the last three weeks.
Symptoms of hepatitis A may be any combination of nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fatigue, low-grade fever, loss of appetite, abdominal pain, muscle and joint aches, dark urine, weight loss and jaundice.
According to the MCHD, West Virginia is in the midst of a multi-state hepitits A outbreak, with 2,577 confirmed cases since the outbreak began in March 2018.
To get a vaccine at MCHD Clinical Services, call 304-598-5105 to make an appointment from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays. If you have urgent questions after hours, call 304-680-4357. Vaccination appointments cannot be made after hours.
To learn more about hepatitis, check out the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s website, cdc.gov/hepatitis.
