The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have updated the Townsend Farms-Costco Hepatitis A outbreak again today. There are still 118 cases in eight states, but the number of people hospitalized has increased. Fifty-four people have now been hospitalized for acute Hepatitis in this outbreak. Sixty-eight ill people are women. No deaths have been reported.
Eighty percent of the ill persons interviewed ate the recalled Townsend Farms Organic Anti-Oxidant Blend frozen berry and pomegranate mix before becoming ill. All of the ill persons bought the product at Costco. It was sold under the Harris Teeter brand name, but no ill persons bought the product at Harris Teeter.
The case count maps and epidemiological curves still have inaccurate numbers. But we know that the patients that are sick live in these states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Washington. The product was distributed in Arizona, Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, and Washington state.
If you purchased this product, contact your physician to see if you can get a Hepatitis A or immune globulin vaccine. The shots only work if given within 14 days of exposure. Please check your home freezer to see if you have the product. If you do, discard it, or double bag it and put it back in the freezer. Wash your hands thoroughly after handling the product; you can contract Hepatitis A by touching the berries and then touching your mouth or face.
