BEAVER, Pa., Nov. 13 (UPI) -- Health officials said Thursday contaminated food delivered to a Beaver, Pa., restaurant is a more likely cause of a hepatitis A outbreak than poor hygiene.
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette said investigators are also considering whether the problem at a Chi-Chi's restaurant at Beaver Valley Mall is related to recent hepatitis A outbreaks in Georgia and Tennessee, which are being blamed on contaminated green onions.
About 340 cases of the illness have been reported in the Beaver area. The newspaper noted the new theory coincides with the arrival last weekend of investigators from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which investigated outbreaks in the other states.
More than 300 people in Georgia and Tennessee developed hepatitis A during the past two months after eating at various restaurants. Officials now suspect contaminated green onions are responsible, since they are very difficult to clean because they are multi-layered.
Health officials told the Post-Gazette the only way to be absolutely sure green onions are clean is to cook them, which is usually not done since they are most often used as a garnish.
