Imported sea scallops linked to a Hepatitis A outbreak that has sickened 206 people in Hawaii were also sold to restaurants and retailers in California and Nevada. While it’s not clear at this point, which areas of California might be affected, health officials in Nevada say they are not investigating any reports of illnesses linked to the scallops and that “small quantities of the product were received by a local distributor and subsequently discarded; none of the product had been used, distributed or sold.”
The scallops were supplied by Sea Port Products Corp. which issued a recall for frozen bay scallops produced on November 23, 2015 and 24, 2015 with lot numbers 5885, 5886, and 5887.
Hepatitis A is a contagious liver disease that is spread from person to person and through the consumption of contaminated food and beverages. Infected people don’t always have symptoms and can be contagious for some time before symptoms appear.
All cases patients in Hawaii are adults, 51 of whom required hospitalization. Those sickened were exposed at a number of locations between June 12 and August 9. Anyone who thinks they may have been exposed should see a health care provider.
Symptoms of a Hepatitis A infection include: fever, fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, joint pain, dark urine, clay-colored stools and yellow skin or eyes. Symptoms, which can last between three and eight weeks, usually start 28 days after exposure, but can appear anywhere from 15-50 days after exposure.
