THE CELEBRITY LIST GROWS FOR WOLFGANG PUCK'S CATERING 'HEPATITIS A' FOOD SCARE

No Gloves Wolfgang Puck ?

Drew Barrymore, Sandra Bullock and Hugh Grant may have been exposed to Hepatitis A, as the list of Hollywood celebrities who ate tainted food cooked by an infected caterer grows longer and longer. Along with TR Knight, Jimmy Falon and Adam Brody, the stars attended a party for the movie Music and Lyrics last month, which had food provided by Wolfgang Puck Catering. All the guests who attended the party have received a letter from the Los Angeles Health Department informing them "about a public health issue that has arisen." The party was one of 14 catered events where people may have been exposed to Hep A by an infected cook working for Wolfgang Puck Catering, authorities said. Most often spread though faecal-oral contact, such as touching hand to mouth after using the bathroom, Hepatitis A is a viral infection of the liver that causes jaundice, fatigue, abdominal pain, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and fever. The Music and Lyrics party is only the second of the suspect events that have been made public in the States, as authorities appear to be concealing information in a bid to protect the names of extremely high profile celebrities who may have been infected. Beyonce Knowles is counting herself lucky for not eating at a Sports Illustrated party in Los Angeles last month. The February 14 bash in West Hollywood, California, was also catered by the sick cook, and was attended by Knowles and many of the magazine's models. "Thank goodness, neither one of us ate. According to the health department, she wasn't at risk," Beyonce's publicist Alan Nierob says. According to news outlets, guests at the parties have all received letters that ask them to think back to if they ate any uncooked food at the events in question. To help them remember, the letter provides a list of uncooked food that was served. It reportedly includes:
Mini Potato Skins Bar: Sour Cream, Chives and Vermont Cheddar Taco/Fajita Bar: Shredded Lettuce, Chopped Tomatoes, Shredded Cheese, Guacamole, and Sour Cream80's Comfort Station: Peanut Butter Fluffer NuttersPasta Bar: Caesar SaladDessert Station: Vanilla Ice Cream, Bowls of Gummy Bears. Guests who consumed the uncooked food are recommended to get a gamma globulin shot within 14 days of exposure. For many of the 3,500 people reportedly exposed, they received the letter from the Health Department too late to protect themselves.
"If they didn't touch the food, they're not going to have a problem," Dr Jonathan Fielding, Los Angeles County's' director of public health, said. The Wolfgang Puck cook has been placed on medical leave. No illnesses have been reported as yet. Hepatitis A does not typically have a chronic stage and will not cause permanent liver damage, unlike the life-threatening Hepatitis C virus.

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BEYONCE CLEARED OF HEPATITIS A

Beyoncé Knowles does not have hepatitis A.The singer-and-actress was involved in a food scare at the recent Sports Illustrated party in Hollywood which meant she could have been exposed to the infection. Beyoncé's spokesperson, Alan Nierob, has now revealed the 'Dreamgirls' star cannot be at risk because she didn't eat any food at the bash. Nierob said: "Thank goodness neither one of us ate. According to the health department, she wasn't at risk."Beyoncé, along with other guests who attended the Valentine's Day party, was contacted by the Los Angeles County Department of Health on Tuesday to be informed that a catering worker had been diagnosed with acute hepatitis A.The department of health had recommended guests who ate uncooked food at the party or 13 other events catered by Wolfgang Puck Catering from February 1-20 should be vaccinated. Other guests at risk include Leonardo DiCaprio's former lover model Bar Refaeli. Hepatitis A can be transmitted in contaminated food or through the poor hygiene of an infected person.Symptoms include nausea, mild fever, and aching muscles. In severe cases the disease can cause liver failure. Most patients recover fully after two months.

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