At least five people in Hawaii are among the 79 in eight states who have been sickened in a hepatitis A outbreak associated with frozen mixed berries sold at Costco. Some of that cases were on Oahu and Kauai. All of them reported eating frozen mixed berries they purchased from Costco before becoming ill. At least one person was briefly hospitalized.
Hepatitis A is a virus that affects the liver. Symptoms develop two to seven weeks after exposure and include fever, fatigue, loss of appetite, abdominal discomfort, dark urine, clay-colored stools and yellow skin or eyes. In some cases, liver failure can occur. There is a vaccine that, if taken within 14 days of exposure, can prevent illness. Consumers who ate the berries or are worried they may have been exposed should see a doctor.
“Hepatitis A infection is a vaccine preventable disease, and fortunately, most children and adolescents have been vaccinated as part of routine childhood vaccination recommendations,” Dr. Sarah Park, state epidemiologist, said in a statement about the outbreak. “However, many adults have not been vaccinated and will be susceptible.”
Of the 79 people in eight states sickened in this outbreak, 30 have been hospitalized, according to the latest information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Forty of the case patients reported buying “Townsend Farms Organic Antioxidant Blend” at Costco before becoming ill. Townsend Farms, Inc. of Fairview, Oregon voluntarily recalled certain lots of the berry mix on June 3.
