Mount Kisco restaurant cited for potential Hepatitis A exposure

A Mount Kisco restaurant may have given its patrons something that was not on the menu: exposure to Hepatitis A.

The Westchester Department of Health issued a warning for people who dined at Winston at 130 E. Main St. from April 24 to May 3 to get a Hepatitis A vaccine shot. The department added that those who ate or drank at Winston between April 17 and April 23 and have not yet been vaccinated are outside the period for preventive treatment and should contact their health care provider if they develop symptoms.

Hepatitis A is transmitted by consuming food or drinks or by using utensils that have been handled by an infected person, but is not spread through casual contact. Symptoms commonly appear within 28 days of exposure, and the department noted the illness is rarely fatal and most people recover in a few weeks without any complications.

“There are no special medications used to treat a person once symptoms appear, but Hepatitis A transmission to others can be prevented through proper handwashing,” said Sherlita Amler, the county’s commissioner of health. “And a second Hepatitis A vaccine will provide lifetime protection.”