ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — One of the latest cases of Hepatits A in the Bay area happened with a dishwasher at Ferg's Sports Bar in downtown St. Petersburg.
- Ferg's Sports Bar Cleared to Stay Open After Employee Contracted Hep A
- Bay area counties see rise in Hepatitis-A cases
- LINK: Hernando County hepatitis A resources
The restaurant was very proactive - some employees got shots as a precaution and the restaurant has been cleared by the health department.
It's just one case in what health experts said has been a spike in Hep A cases in the Tampa Bay area in the past year.
In addition to the Hep A case at Ferg’s, another one occurred at a fast food restaurant in Tarpon Springs.
And even one in Spring Hill where health officials reported a food worker at Silverthorn Country Club restaurant tested Hep A positive.
In that case, two high schools held their proms at the country club at that time. There were no other reports of positive tests there.
So what's causing the Hep A spike?
Pinellas County has seen 319 cases, Pasco 267 and Hillsborough 165.
Health experts here in Pinellas said they believe the surge in cases is due to the opioid crisis and drug use.
But once someone is infected, anything they touch is infected - and that's how it can spread so quickly.
The Pinellas County health department is now offering free Hep A vaccinations right now. In Hernando County, the health department there is also expanding free Hep a vaccinations.
Constant handwashing is always encouraged to stop the spread but vaccinations are key here to avoid what appears to be a growing problem in the Bay area.
CORRECTION: An earlier version of this article incorrectly referenced the worker at Ferg's infected with Hepatitis-A as a "cook." The worker was, in fact, a dishwasher. The error has been corrected.