Question

Several workers at a local fast-food restaurant call in sick and report to the local ambulatory clinic for treatment. All of them complain of extreme fatigue. In addition, another 26 year-old food handler, who returned from visiting his relatives in Costa Rica a month ago, is sick. Within the last week or two he has had no energy and just doesn’t feel well. When he recently visited a physician at a local ambulatory clinic, he was slightly jaundiced.

Laboratory Data:

The results of the 26 year-old food handler’s tests were as follows: CBC – normal, Serum bilirubin – slightly elevated.

Questions

1. What types of additional laboratory tests could be of value in determining the 26 year-old’s source of illness?

2. What are the immunologic manifestations?

3. What is the prognosis in this disease?

4. What are the methods of prevention and prophylaxis?

5. Because of this patient’s occupation, could particular infectious diseases be of concern?

Answer 1

1.The patient can be done a Hepatitis A test to find out the source of illness.The consumption of food from the local fast food restaurant can be a cause for these symptoms.

2.Some of the major manifestation which are found in 2nd to 4th week after infection are

• Extreme fatigue (the patient exhibits symptoms anywhere between the 2 to 4 weeks of infection
• Nausea and vomiting
• Abdominal pain
• Jaundice (elevated serum bilirubin level )
• Anorexia
• Muscle pain

3.The disease doesn't require any specific treatment. It will be a sy,tomatic treatment .Te liver heals completely in 6 months

4.Some of the preventive techniques are

• Hepatitis A vaccination
• Avoiding foods which are unclean or from unhygienic environment
• Having no relationship with the infected partner
• Washing hands before eating

5.A food handler cannot work in this department because the main source of transmission of infection is through contaminated food.The patient should not be in occupation until the infection settles down.