Typhoid Fever Warning Issued to Patrons of New York Restaurant

A restaurant food handler at Mama Sbarro’s, at 265 North Broadway, in New York has contracted Typhoid Fever and Nassau County health officials issued a warning on Saturday, March 22, 2008, to anyone who had recently eaten in the restaurant located in Hi

The man's name has not been released but a spokesperson for the Nassau County Department of Health said that the risk to the public was low, based on two health inspections and no serious health code violations were found. The restaurant remains open.

Patrons of Mama Sbarro’s who ate there between March 14 and March 16 were urged to be aware of the risk of exposure. It may take one to three weeks for symptoms to appear. Anyone with symptoms — including fever, headache, constipation or diarrhea, and sometimes a rash — was urged to contact a health care provider.

This is usually treated with antibiotics. Typhoid fever is a life-threatening sickness caused by the bacterium Salmonella Typhi. In the US about 400 cases occur each year, and 75% of these 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 is usually spread by foods or liquids contaminated by feces from an infected person.