The nationwide Hepatitis A outbreak associated with Townsend Farms Organic Antioxidant Blend frozen berry mix has grabbed headlines in the last few weeks. At least 79 people have been sickened in this outbreak, and 30 people are in the hospital as a result of the infection. But cases of Hepatitis A have been declining in the United States in the past 30 years.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention state that Hepatitis A illnesses have declined by 95% since 1995 when the preventative vaccine against the virus first became available. In 2010, the incidence rate was 0.6 cases per 100,000 people, the lowest rate ever. Children are routinely vaccinated against the virus, as they are against many other diseases. And the government recommends that many adults receive the vaccination, depending on risk factors.
The virus is transmitted through the fecal-oral route; that is, you eat something that has been contaminated by the feces of another person. The Hepatitis A virus is not killed by freezing. The food and drinks most likely to be contaminated are fruits, vegetables, shellfish, ice, and water. The virus in this particular outbreak is rarely seen in the United States, but is more common in the Middle East and Africa. The fruits in the recalled Townsend Farms berry mix were imported from Turkey, Chile, and Argentina.
The current outbreak is growing rapidly, and the government is updating its outbreak investigation several times a week. At this time, only the Townsend Farms Organic Antioxidant Blend frozen berry mix has been recalled; no other Townsend Farms products or fresh produce is implicated in this outbreak. Stay tuned because we’ll keep you updated about new information in the investigation. If you ate or touched this product, contact your healthcare provider to see if a Hepatitis A or immune globulin vaccine will protect you, and certainly see a doctor if you are exhibiting any symptoms of the disease.
