San Francisco's Department of Public Health are alerted the public to a potential risk of contracting typhoid fever.
Health officials said someone who handles food at the Nordstrom Cafe at the Stonestown Galleria contracted the disease and could have spread the disease to customers. The worker, who worked on the food line, showed signs of being sick while at work, according to SF officials.
Anyone who ate at that restaurant on April 16, 17, 18, 20, or 27, 2013 may be at risk.
"Persons who are at risk because they dined at the Stonestown Nordstrom Cafe on one of those dates should see a healthcare provider right away if they are feeling unwell, and should tell their physician that they may have been exposed to typhoid fever," said doctor Tomas Aragon.
Nordstrom issued a statement encouraging customers who have symptoms to be tested.
"We’ve made arrangements with two clinics that will provide this testing at no cost: The Franciscan Treatment Room - (415) 353-6305 and Dr. Meenakshi Jain at the Sutter Pacific Medical Foundation - (415)-731-6300," Nordstrom stated.
Typhoid fever is a life-threatening illness caused by the bacterium Salmonella Typhi. In the United States, it is estimated that approximately 5,700 cases occur annually. Up to 75-percent of the cases are acquired while traveling internationally. Typhoid fever is still common in the developing world, where it affects about 21.5 million persons each year.Typhoid fever can be prevented and can usually be treated with antibiotics.
Experts say death is uncommon, but add typhoid fever can be severe and life-threatening.
The only way to know if an illness is typhoid fever is by testing samples of stool, blood, and urine for the presence of Salmonella enterica serotype Typhi.
This is the first case of typhoid fever of a food handler ever in San Francisco history.
Nordstrom at Stonestown Galleria is cooperating with the Department of Public Health in the investigation to ensure that the public and their workers are informed and protected.
Local
Nordstrom issued the following statement Friday:
We were notified by the San Francisco Department of Public Health about an unusual situation involving one of our Stonestown Galleria employees who has been diagnosed with typhoid fever.
In partnership with the Department of Public Health, Nordstrom immediately took steps to reach out to our employees and customers with information about this illness.
Our hope is that anyone who visited our Nordstrom Café during the days of possible exposure and has been experiencing symptoms will get tested.
We’ve made arrangements with two clinics that will provide this testing at no cost: The Franciscan Treatment Room - (415) 353-6305 and Dr. Meenakshi Jain at the Sutter Pacific Medical Foundation - (415)-731-6300.
This is the first time we’ve experienced this type of situation and we apologize for any concern or angst this has caused.
