A food handler arrives at work with jaundice. This symptom may indicate exposure to which disease?

A food handler arrives at work with jaundice. This symptom may indicate exposure to which disease?

• A. Hepatitis A
• B. Norovirus
• C. Salmonella
• D. Listeria

Answer: (A)

Jaundice signals liver involvement. Hepatitis A is a viral liver infection often spread through food or water contaminated by an infected person, and it commonly presents with jaundice, dark urine, and fatigue. In a food-service setting, a handler with jaundice should be excluded from work and reported to prevent possible transmission to customers, since they may be shedding the virus. The other illnesses listed cause gastrointestinal symptoms like vomiting or diarrhea, but jaundice is not a typical sign for them, so they are less likely explanations in this scenario.

Jaundice signals liver involvement. Hepatitis A is a viral liver infection often spread through food or water contaminated by an infected person, and it commonly presents with jaundice, dark urine, and fatigue. In a food-service setting, a handler with jaundice should be excluded from work and reported to prevent possible transmission to customers, since they may be shedding the virus. The other illnesses listed cause gastrointestinal symptoms like vomiting or diarrhea, but jaundice is not a typical sign for them, so they are less likely explanations in this scenario.