What to Know
- Health officials are warning people who ate or drank at the Sleepy Hollow Country Club recently they may have been exposed to hepatitis A
- Hepatitis A affects the liver and symptoms include fever, fatigue, abdominal pain and jaundice
- Preventative treatment is only effective within two weeks of exposure, so anyone affected is advised to seek help now
Patrons of a historic country club in Westchester may have been exposed to hepatitis A amid a small outbreak of the serious viral infection, health officials warned Friday.
Last month, an infected employee at Bartaco in Port Chester led to thousands of people being treated against hepatitis A. That employee ended up exposing five people to hepatitis A, the Westchester Health Department said, and apparently one of those people infected an employee of the Sleepy Hollow Country Club.
The country club has fully cooperated with an investigation and voluntarily closed its kitchens Friday to sanitize them, according to health officials. It's also vaccinating all of its 80 to 100 employees against hepatitis A.
“We ask for everyone’s patience while we scrub the club from top to bottom to insure a safe place for our members and their guests to dine,” said Eric Rule, the club's general manager, in a statement.
Patrons of Sleepy Hollow’s Grill Room are most at risk, but health officials are warning anyone who ate or drank at the country club between Oct. 27 and Nov. 4 to seek preventative treatment immediately out of an abundance of caution (more information below).
People who visited the country club between Oct. 21 and Oct. 26 may have also been exposed, but health officials say preventative treatment is only effective within two weeks of exposure. Those who visited the club before Oct. 27 should monitor themselves for symptoms and contact their health provider if symptoms appear.
Hepatitis A is transmitted by consuming food or drinks that have been handled by an infected person. Symptoms include fatigue, fever, poor appetite, abdominal pain, diarrhea, dark urine, light colored stool and jaundice, according to Health Commissioner Sherlita Amler. Those infected will normally notice symptoms within 28 days of exposure, but they can appear in as little as 15 days or as many as 50 days.
Free preventative treatment will be offered at 134 Court St. in White Plains on Friday from 4 to 7 p.m. and on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. You can register for treatment at this health.ny.gov page.
