LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – A Walt Disney World employee who works at a Fort Wilderness Resort restaurant is temporarily off the job after being diagnosed with hepatitis A, theme park officials said.
Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue, a frontier-themed restaurant at Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort, was thoroughly cleaned and sanitized after officials became aware of the employee's diagnosis.
“Nothing is more important to us than safety. Upon learning this news, we immediately began working with the Florida Department of Health in Orange County. The impacted cast member has not worked since being diagnosed and will not return until officially cleared by the Department of Health. We are not aware of anyone else becoming ill and continue to be engaged with the Department of Health to ensure we have all of the right processes in place to protect our cast members and guests,” a Disney spokesperson said.
In addition to the sanitation, Disney also plans to enact extra safety measures and make hepatitis A vaccines available to all cast members.
In November, the Florida Department of Health in Orange County announced that a food service worker at Morimoto Asia restaurant at Disney Springs had been diagnosed with hepatitis A. The news came with a plea for anyone who ate at the restaurant around the time the infection was identified to get vaccinated immediately.
Symptoms of hepatitis A, which is highly contagious, include sudden onset of abdominal discomfort, dark urine, fever, diarrhea and yellow skin and eyes. Anyone who is experiencing symptoms or who believes they could be at risk should contact a health care provider immediately.
For more information about hepatitis A cases in Florida, click here.