4,000 People May Have Been Exposed to Hepatitis A at Hardee’s in West Charlotte

CHARLOTTE, NC – 4,000 people may have been exposed to Hepatitis A at a restaurant in West Charlotte. Some of them must get the vaccine Wednesday to avoid getting sick.

“I eat there every morning,” says customer Robert English. English is one of thousands of people now at risk of getting sick after eating at the Hardee’s on Little Rock Road.

“I just heard about it today and I was very upset. But nothing I can do but try to go get fixed,” English says.

The Health Department says an employee who handles food was diagnosed with the virus Monday. Anyone who ate there between June 13th and June 23rd needs to get a shot.

Mecklenburg County Health Director Gibby Harris says time is critical. The vaccine is only effective within two weeks of exposure.

“Those individuals who at there on the 13th, their last day for effective vaccination is tomorrow,” Harris says.

Harris says around half of the people who get Hepatitis A end up in the hospital. The highly contagious disease affects the liver.

It usually gets better in a few weeks. Symptoms can last up to six months — the include fatigue, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, loss of appetite, and muscle pain.

Harris says this is the first outbreak of it’s kind in North Carolina. Tuesday she faced tough questions from County Commissioners about why the Health Department didn’t notify people sooner.

Public Health vaccination clinics for customers who might have been exposed and for residents who meet the high-risk factors for hepatitis A will be held at the following times and locations:

• Wednesday, June 27 from 8 a.m. – 7.p.m, and Thursday, June 28 from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m., at Northwest Health Department, 2845 Beatties Ford Rd. and Southeast Health Department, 249 Billingsley Rd., Charlotte.
• Friday, June 29 from 3 p.m. – 8p.m. at the Hal Marshall Building, 700 N. Tryon St., Charlotte.
• Saturday, June 30 and Sunday, July 1 from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. at the Hal Marshall Building, 700 N. Tryon St, Charlotte.

A Hardee’s spokesperson released the following statement Tuesday afternoon regarding an employee at one of their Charlotte locations who was recently diagnosed with hepatitis A.

“We can confirm that an employee at our Hardee’s restaurant at 2604 Little Rock Road in Charlotte, North Carolina was recently diagnosed with Hepatitis A. Once CKE became aware, we immediately notified Mecklenburg County Public Health, which conducted an inspection on Monday, June 25. Although the health department determined a mandatory closure was not necessary, out of an abundance of caution for our employees, guests and community, we voluntarily closed the restaurant this afternoon.

CKE is cooperating fully with the health department and are following all recommendations to ensure the health of our employees and customers. Based on guidance from the health department, we urge any guests who visited our Hardee’s restaurant at 2604 Little Rock Road between June 13 – 26 to get vaccinated.”