A Hepatitis A outbreak linked to frozen berries has sickened 13 people in Canada, hospitalizing five of them, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada. A recall has been issued for Nature's Touch Organic Berry Cherry Blend sold at Costco stores inOntario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland and Labrador. Consumers who have purchased this product should not consume it. Hepatitis A is a highly contagious virus. It is transmitted Hepatitis when contaminated food or water is eaten or through contact with an infected person's stool. Sometimes those who are infected show no symptoms. For those who do become sick, symptoms usually develop two weeks after exposure and can last for months. They include mild fever, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fatigue, … [Read more...]
CDC’s Final Report on Hepatitis Outbreak Townsend Farms Mixed Berries
Hepatitis A in bags of Townsend Farms Organic Antioxidant Blend frozen mixed berries sold at Costco stores sickened 162 people in 10 states between May and September, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC's) final report. The source of contamination was identified as pomegranate seeds imported from Goknur Foodstuffs Import Export Trading in Turkey. Hepatitis A is a highly contagious virus. Sometimes those who are infected show no symptoms. For those who do become sick, symptoms usually develop two weeks after exposure and can last for months. They include mild fever, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fatigue, dark urine, clay colored stools and jaundice. People can be contagious up to 2 weeks before they even know they are sick, which is one of … [Read more...]
How Did Hepatitis A Get on Costco Berries?
The hepatitis A outbreak associated with Townsend Farms berries sold at Costco has sickened at least 37 people in six states and raised a lot of questions. One of them is how does food become contaminated with hepatitis A? Hepatitis A is virus that is spread when an infected person doesn’t wash his his or her hands properly after going to the bathroom and touches objects or food. The foods and drinks most likely to be contaminated with hepatitis A are fruits, vegetables, shellfish, ice, and water, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In the United States, where the hepatitis A vaccine is available and chlorination kills any of the virus that enters the water supply, the disease isn't very common. But it is prevalent in other countries including Mexico … [Read more...]
