Hepatitis A Prevention Guide for Las Vegas Food Service

Employee Health Screening & Exclusion Protocols

The Southern Nevada Health District requires food handlers to report symptoms including jaundice, abdominal pain, diarrhea, and vomiting immediately to management. Employees diagnosed with Hepatitis A must be excluded from food preparation and handling until cleared by a physician—typically after symptoms resolve and they've completed proper post-exposure protocols. SNHD regulations mandate that food establishments maintain documented health questionnaires at hire and monitor employee wellness during shifts. Staff should never handle food if they've had recent diarrheal illness, and managers must enforce sick leave policies without penalty to prevent workers from coming to work ill.

Sanitation & Handwashing Standards in Las Vegas

The Southern Nevada Health District enforces FDA Food Code standards requiring handwashing stations with hot running water, soap, and single-use towels in all food preparation areas. Employees must wash hands thoroughly (minimum 20 seconds with friction) after using the restroom, handling raw foods, eating, smoking, or touching their face. All food contact surfaces, utensils, and equipment must be cleaned and sanitized between uses with approved sanitizers verified by test strips. High-touch surfaces like door handles, cash registers, and prep tables require frequent cleaning throughout service hours. Hepatitis A virus survives on surfaces for hours, making environmental sanitation as critical as handwashing for breaking the transmission chain.

Temperature Control & Food Safety Procedures

While Hepatitis A primarily spreads through fecal-oral contamination via employee handling rather than cooking temperatures, proper food storage prevents cross-contamination. Las Vegas establishments must maintain refrigerators at 41°F or below and hot holding equipment at 135°F or above, monitored by calibrated thermometers checked daily. Ready-to-eat foods (salads, sandwiches, desserts) are high-risk items requiring extra protection from employees with potential Hepatitis A exposure. Separate cutting boards, utensils, and prep zones for raw and ready-to-eat foods prevent cross-contamination. The SNHD conducts unannounced inspections to verify compliance with these storage and handling standards, with violations documented in public health records.

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