The San Francisco Health Department had released a warning to people who have eaten at the Nordstrom Cafe located at the first floor of Stonestown Galleria for possible exposure to typhoid fever. Those who have been at the café for the last two weeks of April are at risk.
To date, health officers have not received any report about someone suffering from typhoid fever after dining at the said café. However, the warning remains for public awareness. The warning was released after a staff from the café was diagnosed with typhoid fever. Medical reports said that the staff got it while traveling abroad and was already handling food at the café unaware that he was already carrying the disease.
Dr. Susan Philip of the Health Department advised those who ate last April 16 to 27 to check for possible symptoms of typhoid fever especially if they are experiencing gastrointestinal discomfort, high fever or appearance of rashes. The possibility of catching the disease is low but is still possible and has killed hundred thousands of people in other countries.
On the other hand, regular customers of the Nordstrom Café don’t seem to be bothered with the public warning released by the health department.
Nordstrom Café has also begun tracing all the customers who have been at their café during the critical period by checking their credit card transaction records and offering them free medical examination in two clinics within San Francisco. The health department commended this effort unlike the marketing manager of Stonestown Galleria who refused to assist due to business concerns.
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) listed the common symptoms of typhoid fever: body temperature that reaches 104 degrees, fatigue, stomach pains, and rashes. One is also a vulnerable if has recently traveled from developing countries. In the U.S, there are 400 cases recorded each year.
