2003 Chi-Chi's Hepatitis A Outbreak
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

The 2003 Chi-Chi's hepatitis A outbreak was an outbreak involving contaminated green onions (or scallions) at a
Chi-Chi's Chi-Chi's is a Belgian Chain store, restaurant chain and a Mexican-styled grocery items owned by MegaMex Foods. The son of one of the original co-founders recently revived the brand by preparing to open two restaurants in Minnesota. The name ...
restaurant at
Beaver Valley Mall The Beaver Valley Mall is a regional shopping mall located in Center Township, Pennsylvania, serving Beaver County within the Pittsburgh metropolitan area. It is owned by the Namdar Realty Group. The mall features Boscov's, Dick's Sporting ...
in
Monaca, Pennsylvania Monaca ( ) is a Borough (Pennsylvania), borough in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, United States, along the Ohio River. The population was 5,625 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It is located northwest of Pittsburgh and is part of ...
, approximately northwest of
Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, second-most populous city in Pennsylvania (after Philadelphia) and the List of Un ...
, from September to November 2003. The source of the contamination was green onions (or scallions) imported from three farms in Mexico. The
Food and Drug Administration The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA or US FDA) is a List of United States federal agencies, federal agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Health and Human Services. The FDA is respo ...
(FDA) stated the contamination happened during the distribution system or through the growing, harvesting, packing, or cooling process.


Outbreak

On November 3, 2003, the Pennsylvania Department of Health (PDOH) issued a hepatitis A advisory, encouraging anyone who had eaten at the Chi-Chi's restaurant at the Beaver Valley Mall within the past 14 days to receive an
immunoglobulin An antibody (Ab) or immunoglobulin (Ig) is a large, Y-shaped protein belonging to the immunoglobulin superfamily which is used by the immune system to identify and neutralize antigens such as pathogenic bacteria, bacteria and viruses, includin ...
(Ig) shot to prevent becoming ill with the hepatitis A virus. The shot is only effective in preventing infection with hepatitis A if administered within 14 days of exposure to the virus. PDOH scheduled Ig immunization clinics in the metropolitan area over the following days. Approximately 9,000 people were potentially exposed to the hepatitis A outbreak. The CDC conducted a case-control study to identify menu items or ingredients associated with illness. They identified 181 people as their case patients who dined at the restaurant during the peak exposure period, October 3–6, 2003. Chili con queso and mild salsa were the two menu items found to be associated with people having an illness. The menu items contained uncooked or minimally heated fresh green onions. Mild salsa was eaten by 94% of the 181 identified case patients. Salsa was prepared in batches and then refrigerated in containers with a shelf life of 3 days. Mild and hot salsa were ladled into bowls and provided free with tortilla chips upon seating in the restaurant.


Infection

Hepatitis A Hepatitis A is an infectious liver disease caused by Hepatitis A virus (HAV); it is a type of viral hepatitis. Many cases have few or no symptoms, especially in the young. The time between infection and symptoms, in those who develop them, is ...
is an infectious disease of the
liver The liver is a major metabolic organ (anatomy), organ exclusively found in vertebrates, which performs many essential biological Function (biology), functions such as detoxification of the organism, and the Protein biosynthesis, synthesis of var ...
caused by Hepatitis virus A (HAV). The virus is primarily spread by food contaminated with fecal matter. Hepatitis A can also be contracted from contaminated water, personal contact (such as being in the same household with a person who has the virus or through children at daycare centers), sexual contact, and illicit drug use. The incubation period of hepatitis A is usually 14–28 days. Green onions require extensive handling during harvesting and preparation for packing. Contamination of green onions could occur through contact with HAV-infected workers, especially children, working in the field during harvesting and preparation and with HAV-contaminated water during the product's irrigation, rinsing, processing, cooling, and icing.


Responses

Chi-Chi's filed for
Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code (Title 11 of the United States Code) permits reorganization under the bankruptcy laws of the United States. Such reorganization, known as Chapter 11 bankruptcy, is available to every business, wh ...
in October 2003. An order issued in bankruptcy court on February 17, 2004, allowed people affected by the outbreak to attempt to mediate and settle their claims against Chi-Chi's despite the company's bankruptcy status. When the lawsuits were settled, Chi-Chi's had 65 restaurants, fewer than half of the number four years prior. The chain closed its remaining restaurants on the weekend of September 18, 2004. In November 2003, the FDA issued a consumer alert and an import ban on green onions from four farms (including those that supplied green onions to Chi-Chi's) in Mexico. The import ban follows hepatitis A outbreaks in Georgia, Tennessee, and North Carolina in September 2003, a month prior. The restaurant chain removed green onions from their menu altogether. The outbreak and other E coli outbreaks throughout the early 2000s led to the adoption of the
Food Safety Modernization Act The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) was signed into law by President Barack Obama on January 4, 2011. The FSMA has given the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) new authority to regulate the way foods are grown, harvested and processed. Th ...
in 2011. This gave the FDA new authority to regulate how foods are grown, harvested, and processed.


References

Hepatitis outbreaks 2003 in Pennsylvania 2003 disease outbreaks 2003 disasters in the United States Disease outbreaks in the United States Food recalls Restaurant food safety scandals {{coord, 40, 37, 46, N, 75, 28, 36, W, display=title