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Getting Hip
To Hep

The hepatitis A outbreak is behind us. Now what
about hepatitis B and C?

JULIE EDGAR
Senior Writer

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T

he case is closed on the
nasty outbreak of hepatitis
A that sickened dozens of
Oakland County residents
in August and September.
The 44th and last case of the virus
traced to tainted cole slaw at the
Stage & Co. restaurant was reported
to the county on Sept. 23 or 24, said
Dr. Carolyn Bird, the county's chief
of medical services.
The county health department
zeroed in on the cole slaw at the
Stage after interviewing dozens of
people who fell ill with the virus.
The West Bloomfield eatery imports
chopped and packaged cabbage from
a local vendor and mixes it with
dressing at the restaurant.
Apparently, an employee who was
sick with hepatitis prepared the slaw
that was eaten Aug. 5, 6 and 9.
Hepatitis A is passed through fecal
matter, and usually is ingested orally.
It cannot be passed through bodily
fluids.
"It's from people who don't wash
their hands after going to the bath-
room and they handle other people's
food," Bird said.
Generally, the incubation period
of the virus is 15 to 50 days, mean-
ing symptoms may appear two weeks
to six weeks after exposure to the
virus. Most people are contagious
before they feel sick and then for a
few days after the onset of symp-
toms, which include fever, nausea,
achiness and sometimes jaundice. It
does not cause permanent liver dam-
age.
One of the victims, 67-year-old
Martin Olshansky, died at William
Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak.
He suffered from other serious health
problems as well.
Since then, all Stage employees —
about 50 — have been immunized
against hepatitis A, and a more rigor-
ous hand-washing policy was imple-
mented at the restaurant. In

o f

December, owner Steve Goldberg
o1
will begin using a system which elec-
tronically monitors employee hand-
washing. He did not want to com-
ment on the hepatitis incident for
this story.
But the effects of the mini-epi-
demic still resonate.
Thus far, four of those who con-
tracted the virus have sued the Stage
in Oakland County Circuit Court on
grounds of negligence.
Another victim is trying to regain
his strength. Miles Zeman hasn't
gained back the 10 pounds he lost,
and his skin still carries a yellowish
hue from jaundice. Despite a deep
malaise, he drags himself to work for
a few hours each day. His doctors
have told him it will take another
0
month for him to fully recover.
The 77-year-old Franklin man, an

GETTING HIP TO HEP

on page 18