Busan restaurant blamed for 64 hepatitis A cases

The restaurant's salted clams (jogae jeotgal) are suspected as the source of the infection. Gettyimagesbank

By Jung Min-ho

A Busan restaurant has been blamed for a surge in hepatitis A infections in the city.

The Busan Metropolitan Government said Wednesday that 64 people who dined at the same restaurant between mid-June and early July were confirmed to have been infected with the virus. The restaurant's name and location have not been specified.

Hepatitis A is a highly contagious liver disease that can be transmitted through contaminated food or water, or from close contact with an infected person. Unlike hepatitis B and C, it does not cause chronic liver disease but can cause symptoms such as fatigue, sudden nausea and fulminant hepatitis (acute liver failure), which is often fatal.

Health officials suspect the restaurant's salted clams (jogae jeotgal) as the source of infection. They are now examining the ingredients while conducting an epidemiological investigation to find out who else is at risk.