Month: September 2006

I am sure you are looking at it going WTF? But I decided rather than delete what I wrote, to strike-through the non-relevant info, as to show that we were indeed, thankfully, wrong about the whole thing. It does not change the fact that everyone should in fact get vaccinated for Hepatitis A and B (especially if you are a man who has sex with men), because it is preventable. Which means, that even if you ate somewhere that potentially did have contamination (which Joe’s DOES NOT), you would be fine, because you would have antibodies to protect you. See how important these vaccinations are? They prevent you from sounding the alarm (albeit, somewhat prematurely, and ultimately incorrectly), and most importantly, from getting sick, because no one likes being sick, folks.

So, what we have learned from this:
1) Joe’s on Juniper is a great place to eat. No problems there. Check it out.
2) The incubation period for Hepatitis A and B are very similar, as are their symptoms.
3) My friend was infected with one at the same time he ate something that didn’t agree with him, which led him to believe that it was from the food, when it clearly wasn’t. This highlights the importance of SEEKING MEDICAL ATTENTION when you feel ill. You may think you have one thing, when you have something else entirely.
4) Vaccination for Hepatitis A and B are very important, because they are preventable viruses in most people. Get your vaccines now.
5) Apparently (much to my, and definitely my friend’s, surprise) some people are active carriers of Hepatitis B, and can pass it on to their sexual partners, if those partners are not vaccinated (again highlighting the importance of vaccination).
6) I realize that it is important to let people know of potential health situations (because prevention is definitely the key), but it is also important to realize that not every diagnosis is for sure. As I said in the previous post, it was never certain, and in this case, it turned out to be incorrect. Unless the message of alarm for anything potential regarding health situations and particular establishments/foods/medicines/etc comes from a health department or the FDA or other reputable establishment of public health, it is merely a word of caution and not a definitive diagnosis and explanation of what is actually going on. Sometimes it is better to say wear shoes, there may be rusty nails in here, even if there aren’t any nails, rather than let someone walk around barefooted, and find the one rogue nail that shouldn’t even be there.
7) I again want to stress that my friend has B and not A, which means that Joe’s on Juniper is FREE AND CLEAR. Now, let’s stop all this nonsense, get ourselves vaccinated, and go enjoy some wings and beers on the patio at Joe’s. I for one am going to need them after all of this mess.

BIG TIME UPDATE: My friend just called me from the doctor, and it turns out, very surprisingly, that he actually has Hep B, NOT HEP A, which means that IT DID NOT COME FROM JOE’S. I REPEAT, HE DID NOT GET IT FROM JOE’S, and Joe’s is clear and great! Unfortunately, for my friend, his partner is apparently an active carrier for Hep B, and passed it on to him, since he was not vaccinated. Damn. But, that’s good for Joe’s! Perhaps I will go eat there today! Hooray! Which means, that everything that is written below (which I am going to heavily edit) is just for your informative purposes… This just shows the importance of getting vaccinated. Get vaccinated!

Alright, this may be gross for some of you, but it is important nonetheless. A good friend of mine (who shall remain nameless), called me two days ago because he noticed that he was jaundiced. In case you don’t know what that means, it meant that his skin and eyes had a distinct yellow tint to them. Basically, this isn’t normal, so he called me to get a public health professional’s perspective as to just what might be going on. Instantly, I thought that he must have hepatitis, because that is one of the major symptoms of the disease. But, I thought to myself that he probably didn’t, because it is difficult to catch, and one of his risk factors (having sex with men) isn’t really an issue, as he is in a committed relationship and they are monogamous apparently, this doesn’t matter if your partner is an active carrier of Hep B, and you are not vaccinated. Good to know.

But after hearing all of his symptoms, and doing a little research on my own, I pretty much came to the conclusion that it most likely was hepatitis, which sucks, but if it is A, it isn’t that bad. Seriously. He went to the doctor, and they are waiting on the test to see exactly what it actually is. (I may update when I find out from him — let me be clear here; it MAY be hepatitis A, the doctor and symptoms point to a pretty reasonable certainty that it is, but I am not confirming or denying that he is indeed positive for hepatitis A, and I am not conclusively saying that he definitely got it from this place; that is impossible to definitively say). But that is not why I am writing this. I am writing this, because we traced back his disease time-line (epidemiology is fun!), and I, and his doctor, are fairly certain (again, that is NOT 100%. Epidemiology is a science, and sometimes science is wrong. I am passing on the facts that I have: possible infection, and a possible source, nothing more) that he was infected through a food exposure at a specific restaurant in Atlanta. That would mean that this place has a potential contamination issue with hepatitis A, and well, should potentially be avoided until further investigation by the health department (which he called and is issuing an investigation). For the record, it is Joes on Juniper where my friend believes he was infected (but again not with 100% certainty, but with strong belief).

Now, I am not writing this to be mean, or to slander Joes in any way. Honestly, I love the place. I have eaten there many times, and will probably go back at some point in the future; that is, pending they solve this potential issue. I myself have been vaccinated for hepatitis A and B, but don’t really want to find myself being exposed to the virus through food, especially considering that the only way it is transmitted is through stool of an infected person.

I hope that the health department rushes in and does the right thing, but if they don’t, at least my readers know they may not want to eat there for a couple of weeks until the figure this whole thing out. I don’t know if this will bring a shitstorm down on me or not (it shouldn’t, because I am not confirming anything, I am giving you the facts that have been given to me), but I felt it was my duty as a solemn believer in public health and prevention to say something. Don’t eat the poop, and you won’t get sick. You would want to know if you were eating the poop right? Well, now you know you could be. I am fairly certain that this problem will be rectified (oh god) soon, and there is no need to panic, but better safe than sorry… At least hepatitis A isn’t that serious; but regardless, it isn’t something that I would want.

UPDATE: I felt the need to add some statements to what I wrote based on Garrett’s comment, because I don’t want it to be misconstrued as an official “this place has hepatitis” report; of which this IS NOT. I am merely passing on information that a friend of mine, whom I have no reason not to believe, has potentially been infected with hepatitis A, and based on all evidence and symptoms present, potentially infected at Joes. That does not mean that he was, but that is something that I am not qualified to definitively state or not.

We now know that it was indeed NOT Hep A, and did NOT come from Joe’s. Thank goodness for my friend that he now knows what he has, and thank goodness it wasn’t Joe’s, and we all know. Again, this was NEVER meant to be a definitive “alert”, it was merely me passing on potential information that I felt other people may want to be aware of. Now that it is a moot point, I will let you commence eating at the great establishment that is Joe’s on Juniper!! Seriously, it is a great place, and I for one, am glad that things are a-okay there! Hooray! Now, enough about this A and B shit… just get vaccinated, bitches.