Tampa's Ulele admits worker tested positive for Hepatitis A

Another case kept from the public by the Health Department.

click to enlarge Tampa's Ulele admits worker tested positive for Hepatitis A
PHOTO VIA ULELE/ FACEBOOK

This February, a worker who handles food at Ulele tested positive for Hepatitis A, triggering 60 other employees of the popular downtown Tampa restaurant to then get free vaccinations. 

Although this is yet another case of Hep A in Tampa Bay within the last three months, the most shocking detail is that neither the eatery nor the health department alerted the public to the incident.

ABC Action News asked Pinellas County Health Director, Dr. Ulyee Choe, why the public isn't notified after a case of Hepatitis A is found at a restaurant.

“We follow CDC protocols and it's always recommended that coworkers get vaccinated. Again, we only make that public notification when it is a health threat."

Which begs the question, how many cases of Hepatitis A throughout Tampa Bay restaurants do we not know about? 

In a statement to the news station, Ulele management claimed to have maintained contact with the Health Department for a week after the incident to ensure it handled the situation and eliminated all risks. 

Fast food joints with Hepatitis A, not really a surprise. But a country club and Ulele? If you want to go out to eat, it might be a good idea to get vaccinated first.

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