Guests who dined at Morimoto Asia earlier this month may need to get vaccinated.
The Florida Department of Health has found a hepatitis A infection in one of the food service workers at the Morimoto Asia restaurant in Disney Springs. The Walt Disney World restaurant is located in the Town Center area of the shopping district, and officials are saying that anyone who dined there earlier this month may have been exposed to it.
According to WFTV 9, anyone who dined at Morimoto Asia and consumed food or beverages between the dates of November 6 through 16, 2018, might have been exposed to the virus. It is not known if anyone other than the food service worker was infected, but they are encouraging everyone to get vaccinated and to be screened for the virus.
Morimoto Asia is located at 1600 E. Buena Vista Drive, and is in the middle of Disney Springs — near a number of other dining locations.
The Florida Department of Health said on Wednesday that anyone experiencing the following symptoms should seek medical attention immediately.
- Fever
- Diarrhea
- Dark urine
- Jaundice (yellowing of skin and eyes)
- Sudden abdominal discomfort
- Exhaustion or tiredness
- Loss of appetite
Officials also stated that anyone who has previously had hepatitis A — or those who have received two doses of the hepatitis A vaccine — do not need to be immunized again. For now, officials are recommending that even those without any symptoms see a doctor.
Kent Donahue is the spokesman for the state’s Department of Health, and he issued a statement regarding the hepatitis A infection. He also mentioned some precautions that those who dined at Morimoto Asia during those dates should take.
“Hepatitis A vaccine or immune globulin (IG) may provide protection against the disease if given within two weeks after exposure… Therefore, those who consumed food or beverage at the restaurant between Nov. 6, 2018, and Nov. 16, 2018, should promptly contact their health care provider to receive vaccination.”
Since June of 2018, officials have seen a huge increase in the number of hepatitis A infections throughout Orange County, Florida. As a matter of fact, the number of cases is almost 5,000 percent greater than the average of the previous five years — which was 1.4 cases per year.
For those without medical insurance, the Department of Health wants Orange County residents to know they can receive complimentary vaccinations by appointment at the following locations.
6101 Lake Ellenor Drive, Orlando, Florida (for ages 19 and older), with a phone number of: 407-723-5054 — or 832 W. Central Blvd., Orlando, Florida, with a phone number of: 407-858-1444.
Morimoto Asia is a very popular restaurant inside of Disney Springs at Walt Disney World, and the Department of Health is making sure that employees and guests stay safe. This case of hepatitis A in a food service worker is one that needed to become known to the public, so that everyone can take the proper precautions and steps to ensure their health.
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