CENTRAL FLORIDA HEPATITIS A OUTBREAK WORST IN 10 YEARS

BARTOW - Health officials in Central Florida have confirmed a second death
in Polk County from hepatitis A, an outbreak of which is the worst seen
here in a decade.

Michael David Johnson, a 36-year-old Auburndale man, died from the disease
earlier this month. The county's medical examiner put the cause of death as
hepatitis A complicated by chronic hepatitis C.

In the first five months of 2002, the Polk County Health Department had 185
confirmed cases of hepatitis A, by far more than the county had in all of 2001.

In recent weeks, officials have been documenting four to seven new cases a
week - although nine new cases were reported last week. Johnson died June 7.

More than 15 disease detectives are trying to track the virus, focusing on
users of methamphetamine, who are highly susceptible to the disease, and
people they come in contact with.

Health officials don't know for sure how Johnson contracted the disease,
although they said they ruled out tainted restaurant food.

Six cases were linked in April to one restaurant, a Bartow landmark called
John's Restaurant and Lounge. Polk County health officials said the six
people contracted the disease in January when they ate food handled by an
infected cook.

One of those customers, 29-year-old Paquita Campbell, died in March.

Now, the restaurant has been declared safe by county officials, but
business at John's is a fraction of what it used to be. The owner still
isn't convinced Campbell got the disease from eating at John's.