Shoppers at this Saskatoon drug store may have been exposed to hepatitis A

SHA says shoppers at this drug store in Saskatoon's Centre Mall may have been exposed to hepatitis A. (Chad Hills / CTV News)

The province’s health authority is alerting the public that customers at the Shoppers Drug Mart at the Centre Mall in Saskatoon may have been exposed to hepatitis A.

“Those who purchased food and beverage items at that location may have been exposed,” the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) said in a news release Thursday.

SHA says the potential exposure was limited to those who purchased food and beverage items between Feb. 27 and March 19, and did not use a self-checkout.

Anyone who purchased items from a cashier in that time frame should contact HealthLine 811, SHA says.

“People with exposures within the past 14 days may be eligible for hepatitis A vaccine to decrease the likelihood of disease. While the risk of transmission is low, hepatitis is a serious disease.”

Hepatitis A is a liver infection caused by a virus that’s spread by ingesting something that has been contaminated with the stool of someone who has the disease, according to the health authority.

The virus can cause symptoms ranging from loss of appetite, tiredness, nausea and vomiting, to jaundice. Serious complications can include liver failure and death, SHA says.

According to the World Health Organization, most people recover fully from hepatitis A with a lifelong immunity.