55°
One death has been confirmed and a second was under investigation at West Norriton's Gino's Ristorante & Pizzeria, the outlet said. A total of 11 cases were reported, according to 6abc and CBS Philly.
The exact source of the infection was not immediately known.
Gino's says it is cooperating with the investigation and the news is a "shock."
"In the recent events of this past week, we are truly devastated and heartbroken for anyone affected by the Hepatitis A outbreak," a Facebook statement reads.
"Our restaurant has been inspected and no evidence of any airborne or transmittable disease has been found. The cleanliness of our facility, our refrigeration, food handling, and water temperatures have been approved."
Officials initially refused to reveal the restaurant's name when the news broke Thursday, claiming that they were "confident there is minimal risk of ongoing spread or transmission from that location," multiple outlets previously reported.
Hepatitis A is a liver infection caused by the highly contagious and vaccine-preventable hepatitis A virus, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health.
"Hepatitis A is spread from person to person when putting something in the mouth that has been contaminated with feces of a person infected with hepatitis A disease. For this reason, hepatitis A is more easily spread through food and water, particularly in locations and situations where there are poor sanitary conditions or where standard handwashing practices are not observed," the health department says.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Lower Merion-Narberth and receive free news updates.
