All Sushi Shiono employees cleared of hepatitis A

All employees of Sushi Shiono in Waikoloa have tested negative for hepatitis A, according to a company representative Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the state Department of Health confirmed Wednesday that two more food service workers on Oahu were diagnosed with the virus. The DOH also confirmed an additional 33 cases, bringing the total number of people sickened in the ongoing hepatitis outbreak to 168.

All of those cases are adults; 46 of them have required hospitalization.

Sushi Shiono Waikoloa’s 25 employees were ordered to test for the infection after an employee at the store was diagnosed with the virus last month. Employees could not return to work until they received a negative test result.

The order only covered the company’s Waikoloa location.

Administrative manager Yuka Kawakami said all of the Waikoloa employees tested negative and have returned to work. No new cases of hepatitis A have been linked to the restaurant.

The employee who was diagnosed with the virus is still recovering, Kawakami said. That employee is thought to have contracted the infection on Oahu.

One of the newest confirmed infected food service workers on Oahu is an employee at a Waipahu Papa John’s restaurant. The other works at New Lin Fong bakery in Honolulu’s Chinatown.

Seven other establishments throughout the state have had a food-handling employee come down with the virus since the outbreak began.

Health officials are still trying to identify the source of the outbreak. They think it’s likely a product widely distributed primarily on Oahu.

Hepatitis A is spread by contaminated food or water or close personal contact.

The Associated Press contributed to this article.

Email Cameron Miculka at cmiculka@westhawaiitoday.com.