Case of hepatitis A has been confirmed in food service worker at Walt Disney World dinner show, health officials said.
A worker at the Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue at Fort Wilderness Campground contracted hepatitis A, according to officials with the Florida Department of Health.
The case was reported on January 24. The Health Department’s epidemiology staff in Orange County confirmed the case in the lab. The department has been working with Disney World to provide vaccines to staff members since last week. There is no information whether guests were affected.
The Hoop-Dee-Doo has the distinction of being one of the longest running dinner shows in the U.S. On September 5th, 2014, the 90-minute dinner show celebrated its 40th Anniversary. The Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue began its run in 1974 and continues to bring old-fashioned frontier entertainment to Pioneer Hall at Fort Wilderness.
The show is known for its classic song and dance numbers, hilarious comedy acts, and an endless helping of hearty home-cooked food. Guests dine on an all-you-can-eat selection of fried chicken and sides, smoked barbecue pork ribs, baked beans, tossed green salad, cornbread, and strawberry shortcake. The menu has remained the same since Musical Revue’s opening. Dessert, however, was changed from apple pie to strawberry shortcake in 1979 and along with it came the fan-favorite song.
Hepatitis A is highly contagious, and usually spreads when an infected person handles food, after not properly washing their hands. People can be contagious even before symptoms appear. In rare cases it can cause liver failure and death.
“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,” a spokesperson for Walt Disney World said.
The restaurant has been thoroughly cleaned and sanitized said from the company, and additional measures have been taken.
Disney said it will continue to work with the Department of Health to monitor the situation