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Health experts are rushing "to get ahead" of a feared hepatitis A outbreak on one of Australia's best-known holiday dining and shopping strips.
Key points:
- A case of hepatitis A has been confirmed on Hastings Street with an eatery named a venue of concern
- The patient had recently returned from overseas
- Queensland Health will open a pop-up vaccination clinic on the street from Wednesday
Queensland Health is asking people who visited Raw + Rice on Hastings Street in Noosa Heads over the past month to "monitor their own and their family's health" and see a doctor if they feel unwell.
Free vaccinations will be offered over coming days to reduce the risk of the infection spreading further.
Dr Nicolas Smol from the Sunshine Coast Public Health Unit said a pop-up clinic on the street will open for five hours each day to "vaccinate as many people as we can".
"The people that we're really interested in vaccinating are the food handlers in the neighbouring establishments," he said.
He also said anyone who ate at the food outlet between April 22 and May 18 should also seek a vaccination.
"The goal here is to prevent the food handlers becoming infected and then transmitting the virus further on," Dr Smol said.
Extent of outbreak still unknown
One case of hepatitis A has so far been confirmed in Noosa and that patient has since recovered.
But the disease can take up to 50 days to incubate, prompting concerns that more cases may be detected in coming weeks.
"There is the fear that there has been an outbreak and that's why we're trying to get ahead of this," he said.
"That's why we're trying to protect the public as best we can, which is why we're hoping for a good turnout at the vaccine clinic tomorrow."
There was no evidence, he said, that the infection had spread beyond Noosa or interstate with tourists.
Some public bathrooms in the area have been closed for cleaning as a precaution.
'No cause for panic' says health expert
Dr Smol said the health department believed the outbreak was small and "not cause for widespread concern".
"While I'm remaining vigilant, and we're doing everything possible to help the public – at this stage, there's no need or cause for panic," he said.
Dr Smol said businesses along the tourist strip had been contacted by the health department and were aware of the upcoming vaccination clinic.
The severity of symptoms in a patient with hepatitis A can vary widely, from the very mild to the very serious.
They include aches, pains, nausea, lack of appetite, and abdominal discomfort.
It is spread by the "faecal oral" route, similar to gastro-enteritis but unlike other conditions.
Those with hepatitis A may develop jaundice, a yellowing of the skin and eyes.
Multiple cases of hepatitis A were detected in March with a cluster confirmed in Gympie after a family returned from overseas in January.