To: undisclosed-recipients, :
CC:
Subject: PUBLIC HEALTH ALERT: Hepatitis A Exposure at the Global Gaming Expo, Las Vegas, NV
Date: Fri, 23 Sep 2005 15:33:31 -0700

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PUBLIC HEALTH NOTICE
This public health notice is being distributed by the Clark County Health District (CCHD) in Las Vegas to attendees of the Global Gaming Expo (G2E) 2005 held September 13-15 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Your name and contact information have been provided by G2E organizers to CCHD because you registered as a conference attendee.

On September 22, 2005, CCHD was notified that a person distributing ice cream samples at the Schwan’s booth during the conference was infected with hepatitis A. Public health officials have determined that people who were served free ice cream samples by the infected food handler at the Schwan’s booth inside the Global Gaming Expo on September 13th and 14th may be at risk for developing hepatitis A. Anyone who has previously had hepatitis A or has been vaccinated for hepatitis A is immune and therefore not at risk for getting the disease.

Hepatitis A is a viral infection of the liver, causing symptoms of jaundice, fatigue, abdominal pain, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and fever, although people infected with the virus may not have all of these symptoms. Infected persons develop symptoms develop 15 to 50 days after exposure to the virus causing hepatitis A. The virus is not passed through the air. In this specific situation you are most at risk for becoming infected if you ate food products handled by the infected individual at the Schwan’s booth. Not everyone who is exposed to the virus becomes infected. However, it is not possible to predict who or how many people will develop illness.

Although there is no treatment for hepatitis A, symptoms can be prevented in exposed persons who receive gamma globulin within 14 days of their exposure. Any person who ate free ice cream samples served at the Schwan’s booth inside the Global Gaming Expo on September 13th and 14th should contact their local health department and/or physician to determine the need for gamma globulin. Because the last day the infected person served ice cream was on September 14th, gamma globulin must be received no later than Wednesday, September 28th. It is less likely to prevent disease if administered after that date. Please take this notice with you if you decide to see your physician or visit your health department.

The main campus of Clark County Health District at 625 Shadow Lane will be open 9:00 am to 2:00 pm on September 24th and 25th to administer gamma globulin to Clark County residents who were exposed at the Schwan’s booth at the Global Gaming Expo. If you have questions about hepatitis A, or the circumstances of exposure at the conference, please call (702) 759-1300 and press option 5.