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If you ate at the Genghis Grill restaurant at Tempe Marketplace in the past few days, you might have been exposed to hepatitis A, a highly contagious liver infection caused by the hepatitis A virus, the Maricopa County Department of Public Health said Monday.

The department suggests you consult your doctor as soon as possible if you have dined out at Genghis Grill on any of the dates mentioned below and start going through symptoms:

Thursday, May 30; Saturday, June 1; Wednesday, June 5; Thursday, June 6; Friday, June 7; Saturday, June 8; Thursday, June 13; Friday, June 14; Saturday, June 15; Tuesday, June 18.

Symptoms of Hepatitis A

Hepatitis A signs and symptoms typically don't appear until you've had the virus for a few weeks. But not everyone with hepatitis A develops them. If you do, hepatitis signs and symptoms can include:

• Fatigue
• Abdominal pain or discomfort, especially on the upper right side beneath your lower ribs (by your liver)
• Clay-colored bowel movements
• Loss of appetite
• Low-grade fever
• Dark urine
• Joint pain
• Yellowing of the skin and the whites of your eyes (jaundice)
• Intense itching

"Symptoms usually develop approximately one month after exposure to the virus, but can appear anywhere from 15-50 days after exposure," Maricopa County Public Health said.

Vaccination

According to Maricopa County Public Health, there is a two-week window during which a vaccine can prevent infection. That means those exposed on Tuesday, June 18, can get a shot through Tuesday, July 2. If you do not have insurance, you can go online to www.MCHepA.org to find a vaccination clinic. Be sure to tell the clinic about your possible exposure.

"It is spread by eating food, drinking water or touching surfaces that have been contaminated with stool from an infected person, such as someone not properly washing their hands," Maricopa County Public Health explained.

Maricopa County Public health said people who ate at Genghis Grill only on the dates listed above might have been exposed. Genghis Grill is the only Tempe Marketplace restaurant affected and is working with the department to determine the source of the infection.

According to Maricopa County Public Health, the county is part of a larger statewide and nationwide outbreak of hepatitis A.

The people most at risk are those who inject illegal drugs or drugs without a prescription, those who are homeless or experiencing unstable housing, and those recently released from jail or prison. People in those high-risk groups who are not vaccinated are advised to find a clinic.

By Sowmya Sangam