3 deaths now linked to hepatitis A outbreak at Famous Anthony's restaurants

ALISON GRAHAM 540-981-3324 Oct 29, 2021

ROANOKE — Two more adults have died from hepatitis A complications in an outbreak linked to Famous Anthony’s restaurants, the Roanoke Valley’s health district announced Friday.

Three adults now have died in the outbreak, in which officials have identified 49 confirmed cases, including 31 hospitalizations.

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The person was hospitalized with complications from the virus, which causes inflammation of the liver. Roanoke City and Alleghany Health Districts officials said it would not release further information about the individual due to privacy reasons.

Late Friday afternoon, the district announced a third adult who had been hospitalized with complications also had died. Details were not disclosed.

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On Oct. 8, Roanoke County resident James Hamlin, 75, died from hepatitis A complications. He was the first confirmed death associated with the outbreak.

An employee who worked at three Famous Anthony’s locations — on Grandin Road, Crystal Spring Avenue and Williamson Road — was diagnosed with the highly contagious virus. Hepatitis A can be spread through contaminated food and water that an infected person has touched, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Even though cooking food at temperatures greater than 185 degrees can kill the virus, a person with Hepatitis A can contaminate food after it has been cooked.

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Anyone who visited any of the three locations between Aug. 10 and Aug. 27 may have been exposed and should monitor for symptoms, but Morrow said anyone who was exposed likely would have experienced symptoms already.

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