Hepatitis E in a food handler--a rapid risk assessment to guide the public health response.

WPSAR Vol 5, No 4, 2014 | doi: 10.5365/wpsar.2014.5.3.003 www.wpro.who.int/wpsar 1 a Health Protection Service, Australian Capital Territory Health, Canberra, Australia. b OzFoodNet, Communicable Disease Control Section, Health Protection Service, Australian Capital Territory, Canberra, Australia. c Master of Philosophy (Applied Epidemiology) Program, National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia. d Population Health Division, Australian Capital Territory Health Directorate and Australian National University Medical School, Australian Capital Territory, Australia. e Department of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Canberra Hospital and Health Services, Canberra, Australia. Submitted: 4 August 2014; Published: 30 October 2014 doi: 10.5365/wpsar.2014.5.3.003 Objective: The Australian Capital Territory Health Directorate was notified of a food handler with hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection. To guide the public health response, a rapid risk assessment was undertaken to determine the risk of transmission of HEV from the infected food handler to restaurant patrons.