The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) and the Jefferson County Health Department are investigating reports of individuals who suffered eye or skin irritation after visiting Perry Bar and Grill in Perry, Kansas.
The number of affected individuals is not known at this time, but there are reports that approximately 15 who visited Perry Bar and Grill on July 21 or July 22 had eye irritation.
The facility has worked with state and local agencies to identify and correct the issue. Ultraviolet-C (UVC) light bulbs that were installed in the facility on July 21 could be the cause of the irritation. The light bulbs have been removed. The facility voluntarily closed on July 23 and 24 and reopened on July 25.
UVC radiation can cause severe burns to the skin and eye injuries (photokeratitis). It can occur after a very short exposure (seconds to minutes) to UVC radiation. The type of eye injury associated with exposure to UVC causes severe pain and a feeling of having sand in the eyes. Sometimes people are unable to use their eyes for one to two days. Skin burns and eye injuries from UVC exposure usually resolve within a week with no known long-term damage.
To better understand how many people were affected and when they had symptoms, KDHE would like those who visited Perry Bar and Grill from Monday, July 11 through Monday, July 25 and later suffered pain or irritation in their eyes or on their skin to complete the survey at: https://tinyurl.com/Perry-Kansas.
###