Six degrees of disease

Have you ever wondered how many people's lives you really touch? Turns out there's no better way to learn than to work at a popular restaurant while you have Hepatitis A: According to KTRK, the county thinks as many as 12,000 people could have been exposed to the virus during 12 days in January and February when a waiter worked while infected.

The waiter worked at the Pappasito's at 15280 North Freeway Jan. 23-27, Jan. 30 and 31, Feb. 1, Feb. 3 and Feb. 7-9, officials say. During that time, people who ate at the restaurant could have been infected by Hepatitis A, which is spread through food and affects the liver, but doesn't cause any permanent damage (though it can cause problems in conjunction with other major medical problems). Symptoms can include nausea, vomiting, fever, jaundice and fatigue, so given the choice, you'll probably want to avoid it. If you think you might have been exposed, KHOU has details on what you should be doing; the county is offering free vaccinations through Thursday at the Mangum Center, 2500 Frick Road. Call 713.212.0200 for more information.

As for the Pappasito's location in question, it seems to be doing OK: “My mom had warned me that there was a problem about a week ago, I guess, but I figured it was probably a pretty safe bet since it was on the news and in the paper that they probably had everything cleaned up by now,” diner Paige Gutierrez told Channel 11. We guess nothing comes between Houstonians and their chimichangas.