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Campus Alert Archive
UW-Madison

A Hepatitis A Case at Rheta's Market Reaches 4,000 Inboxes

WIpublic healthadvisorymedium confidence
Confirmed Threat

On Friday afternoon, February 7, 2025, University Health Services (UHS) at UW-Madison emailed roughly 4,000 students and staff about a possible hepatitis A exposure linked to Rheta's Market, an on-campus dining hall, after a student food-service worker tested positive. The worker was infectious while on the job, prompting outreach to anyone who visited during the exposure window.

Alerts
1
Response
Killed
Injured
Institution
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Public R1 · WI
~50,000 studentsWiscAlert
Confirmed Timeline

Alert Sequence

1 message in sequence

Some alert texts below are approximate reconstructions from news coverage, not confirmed verbatim transcripts. Reconstructed texts are shown in italic with a dashed border. Verified verbatim texts have a solid border and are marked accordingly.

INITIAL ALERTEmail
University Health Services has identified a case of hepatitis A in a student who worked in food service at Rheta's Market. The student was infectious while working, and we are contacting all campus members who may have visited Rheta's Market during the infectious period. The facility has undergone thorough cleaning by the Environment, Health and Safety team. The diagnosed student will not return to work until they are medically cleared. If you visited Rheta's Market during this period, please monitor for symptoms, including fatigue, nausea, jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes) and abdominal pain, and seek medical attention if symptoms develop. UHS has 24/7 medical advice available through the weekend.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

The notice names a single specific venue (Rheta's Market) and a defined infectious window, letting roughly 4,000 recipients self-assess whether they ate there at the relevant time.
Listing jaundice and other hepatitis A symptoms gives a concrete self-screen, and the email's weekend timing is backed by the explicit promise of 24/7 medical advice.
Stating that the worker 'will not return to work until medically cleared' addresses the obvious ongoing-risk worry without naming or stigmatizing the individual.
Context

Background

Hepatitis A is a vaccine-preventable liver infection transmitted via the fecal-oral route, and an infectious food-service worker can expose large numbers of patrons. On February 7, 2025, UW-Madison's University Health Services emailed roughly 4,000 students and staff after a student worker at Rheta's Market tested positive while infectious on the job. Food Poisoning Bulletin reported the dining hall was deep-cleaned by the Environment, Health and Safety team and later cleared to reopen. UHS Director Jack Baggott said the diagnosed student would not return to work until medically cleared. The episode is distinct from UW-Madison's COVID-era residence-hall actions and shows how a single foodborne pathogen case can trigger a mass-notification public-health alert.
Analysis

Key Findings

A single infectious food-service worker prompted an email to roughly 4,000 students and staff — illustrating the broad exposure reach of foodborne hepatitis A
The alert named a specific venue (Rheta's Market) and a defined infectious window so recipients could self-assess exposure
UHS paired the notice with 24/7 weekend medical advice, recognizing the Friday-afternoon timing
The dining hall was deep-cleaned and cleared to reopen; the worker would not return until medically cleared
Outcome
Rheta's Market was thoroughly cleaned by the Environment, Health and Safety team and later cleared to resume normal operations. UHS provided guidance and 24/7 medical advice over the weekend; the diagnosed student would not return to work until medically cleared.
Provenance

Sources

  1. Student Paper
  2. News
  3. News
  4. Official
Tags
hepatitis-apublic-healthfoodbornewisconsindining-halladvisory
Added May 2026Updated May 2026Via ingestion