Sask. Health Authority warns of possible hepatitis A exposure at Saskatoon drugstore

CBC
·2-min read
The Saskatchewan Health Authority says anyone who bought food or beverages at the Shoppers Drug Mart located at The Centre Mall at Circle and Eighth Street East from Feb. 27 to March 19 may have been exposed to hepatitis A. (Trevor Bothorel/CBC - image credit)
The Saskatchewan Health Authority says anyone who bought food or beverages at the Shoppers Drug Mart located at The Centre Mall at Circle and Eighth Street East from Feb. 27 to March 19 may have been exposed to hepatitis A. (Trevor Bothorel/CBC - image credit)

The Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) is alerting the public to possible hepatitis A exposure at a Saskatoon drugstore.

In a statement issued Thursday, the SHA said anyone who bought food and beverages at the Shoppers Drug Mart located at The Centre Mall at Circle and Eighth Street East from Feb. 27 to March 19 may have been exposed to the virus.

SHA says anyone who may have purchased items and did not use self-checkout during the listed dates should contact HealthLine 811 for instructions.

People with exposures within the past 14 days may be eligible for hepatitis A vaccine to decrease the likelihood of  contracting the disease.

Hepatitis A is a liver infection caused by a virus spread by ingesting something contaminated with the stool (feces) of someone who has the disease.

The health authority says while the risk of transmission is low, hepatitis is a serious disease.

Symptoms include loss of appetite, dark urine, light stool, tiredness, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. It can also cause jaundice, which gives the whites of the eyes and skin a yellow tinge. Serious complications may also include liver failure and death.

Exposure to hepatitis A may have occurred during the following times:

  • Tuesday, Feb. 27 from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. CST.

  • Wednesday, Feb. 28 from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. CST.

  • Thursday, Feb. 29 from 3:45 p.m. to 12:15 a.m. CST.

  • Friday, March 1 from 3:45 p.m. to 12:15 a.m. CST.

  • Monday, March 4 from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. CST.

  • Tuesday, March 5 from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. CST.

  • Tuesday, March 12 from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. CST.

  • Friday, March 15 from 4:00 p.m. to 12:15 a.m. CST.

  • Monday, March 18 from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. CST.

  • Tuesday, March 19 from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. CST.

People who have been infected can still spread the virus, even if they are not showing symptoms. Hepatitis A can be prevented through vaccination, the SHA said.

More information on the disease or the vaccine can be found be on the health authority's website.

  • Up next
  • Up next
  • Up next
  • Up next

Latest stories