People who ate cakes and cup cakes from the Shop ’N Kart bakery in Chehalis, WA, in recent days are urged to consult with their doctors on whether they should receive a post-exposure vaccination for Hepatitis A. Shop n Kart bakery Hepatitis AOfficials with the Lewis County Public Health & Social Services Department posted a notice Friday announcing the possible exposure timeframe. “On Oct. 6, a case of Hepatitis A in a bakery worker was reported to the Health Department,” Danette York, Lewis County Public Health & Social Services director, said in the public notice. “To prevent illness, persons who have not been vaccinated against Hepatitis A and ate decorated cakes or cupcakes from the bakery between Sept. 22 and Oct. 6 should contact their healthcare provider about treatment to prevent hepatitis A.” People who ate the implicated foods between Sept. 8 and 22 may also have been exposed, but it is now too late for treatment to prevent illness. If you ate decorated cakes or cupcakes from the bakery and develop symptoms of Hepatitis A, contact your healthcare provider, health officials advised. It can take up to 50 days for Hepatitis A symptoms to develop after exposure. Some infected people don’t exhibit any symptoms. When present, symptoms typically include fatigue, fever, loss of appetite, abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and yellowing of the skin or eyes. Symptoms usually develop two to seven weeks after exposure. “Shop’N Kart contacted public health as soon as they became aware of the infection and have taken every precaution to ensure the safety of their customers. No cases of Hepatitis A associated with the bakery have been reported,” according to the notice from the health department. Hepatitis A is a viral disease of the liver. It is spread from person to person by the fecal-oral route, often by inadequate hand washing after using the toilet or changing diapers. It can also be spread through food beverages and close direct contact with an infected person. (To sign up for a free subscription to Food Safety News, click here.)