About 1,200 Canadians who bought frozen mixed berries from Costco stores in the U.S. are at risk of hepatitis A infection, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada. Most of them live in British Columbia and Alberta and purchased Townsend Farms Organic Antioxidant Blend frozen berry and pomegranate mix from U.S. Costco stores on the west coast. The contaminated berries, which have sickened almost 80 people in the U.S., were not sold in Canada. Hepatitis A is a liver disease that causes illness that can last a few weeks or several months. Symptoms, which generally appear two to seven weeks after exposure include: fatigue, nausea, vomiting, fever, dark urine, clay-colored stools and yellow skin or eyes. Not everyone infected with hepatitis shows symptoms. Canadian public health … [Read more...]
Costco-Townsend Farms Hepatitis A Outbreak Grows, Lawsuits Filed
The Costco-Townsend Farms hepatitis A outbreak continues to grow. There are now 87 CDC-confirmed cases of acute hepatitis A infections that may be linked to eating Townsend Farms Organic Antioxidant Blend frozen berry mix sold at Costco stores. The CDC numbers include people sickened in eight states: Arizona, California Colorado, Hawaii, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Washington. To date, lawsuits have been filed in Arizona and California. The CDC has epidemiological information on 68 of the outbreak victims. These people answered questions about their illness and the food they ate in the weeks leading up to their illness. What the CDC found was that of these 68, 45 (66%) are women, the ages of those sickened are from 2 – 84 years, and 46 (70%) reported eating “Townsend Farms Organic … [Read more...]
Hepatitis A Outbreak Associated with Berries Sold at Costco Includes 4 in Utah
The hepatitis A outbreak associated with frozen mixed berries sold Costco has sickened 79 people including at least four in Utah, according to state health officials. The four people in that state who became ill reported eating a frozen berry mix before the onset of illness which ranged from mid-March to mid-May. None of them was hospitalized and all have recovered. The frozen berry mix in question, “Townsend Farms Organic Antioxidant Blend,” was sold in all 10 Utah Costco stores. The product has been recalled, but some consumers may have it in their freezers and should not eat it. Anyone who ate the product should contact a health care provider of local health department to ask about a vaccination which can prevent illness. Hepatitis A is a virus that causes inflammation of the … [Read more...]
Townsend Farms Hepatitis Outbreak Sickens 79, 30 Are Hospitalized
The Townsend Farms hepatitis A outbreak has now sickened 79 people in eight states and hospitalized 30 of them, according to the latest information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The outbreak is associated with “Townsend Farms Organic Antioxidant Blend” frozen berry and pomegranate mix. During interviews, 40 of the case patients reported buying these berries at Costco. The berry mix was also sold at Harris Teeter stores under the store brand name, but at this time, no illnesses have been associated with product purchased from Harris Teeter. Both Costco and Harris Teeter have removed the product from their stores. Harris Teeter has issued a recall. Costco is notifying customers who have purchased the product since February. Townsend Farms, Inc. of Fairview, … [Read more...]
Costco Hepatitis A Lawsuit Update
The first Costo Hepatitis A lawsuit was filed on behalf of a 51-year-old Lakewood, California, resident. Her lawyers filed the suit against both Townsend Farms and Costco. According to the lawsuit, She purchased the Townsend Farms Organic Anti-Oxidant Blend berries from Costco and ate them before she got sick. She first experienced Hepatitis A symptoms on May 22, 2013, when she began to experience fatigue, chills, achiness and loss of appetite. The tell-tale sign of Hepatitis A, dark urine and yellowing eyes and skin, appeared over the next few days, according to the lawsuit. By the time she saw her doctor, she had severe liver inflammation and was hospitalized, where she was diagnosed with Hepatitis A. The Hepatitis A lawsuit was filed in the Superior Court of California, Los … [Read more...]
Hepatitis A Outbreak Includes Target Pharmacy Employee in Alameda Cty
The Townsend Farms hepatitis A outbreak includes a Target pharmacy employee who works in two stores in Alameda County, California: San Leandro and Hayward on Whipple Road, according to the Alameda County Public Health Department (ACPHD). Individuals who were potentially exposed received prescriptions filled by the employee between May 5 and May 24, 2013. They are being notified directly by Target Pharmacy. “While the risk of transmission from this possible exposure is low, our recommendation was to notify potentially exposed clients to advise that they stop taking the medications that were dispensed during this time and have those replaced with a new supply,“ said Dr. Erica Pan, director of ACPHD’s Division of Communicable Disease Control and Prevention. Customers who received and … [Read more...]
Townsend Farms Recall of Berries Sold at Costco
Townsend Farms, an Oregon company, has issued a recall of Townsend Farms Organic Antioxidant Blend, a frozen berry mix sold to Costco and Harris Teeter stores, according to the FDA. This product is associated with at least 37 hepatitis A illnesses in 6 states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Nevada and New Mexico. The Townsend Farms berries recall was issued 3 days after the CDC announced the suspected link between the berries and the hepatitis A illnesses. "This recall should have been issued as soon an association was made between the berries and the illnesses," said attorney Fred Pritzker. "Even if Townsend Farms was initially unwilling to issue a recall, Costco should have." Costco sold the potentially contaminated berries from February through May 2013 in 3 lb. bags. … [Read more...]
Now 34 Sick in Costco Townsend Farms Hepatitis A Outbreak
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has updated their investigation into the Hepatitis A outbreak associated with Townsend Farms Organic Anti-oxidant Blend frozen berry mix sold at Costco stores. Now at least 34 people in five (perhaps six) states have been sickened in this outbreak. The states where the ill people live are Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, Arizona, and California. We have information that Hawaii is included in the outbreak states with three ill; we're waiting for an answer from the CDC about their omission. Twenty-five people have been interviewed in this outbreak. Fifteen, or 60%, are women. The age range is 24 to 71 years. Illness onset dates range from 4/29/13 to 5/21/13. Eleven, or 44% of the patients, have been hospitalized in this outbreak. Nineteen … [Read more...]
Costco Berries Recall a No-Go, Townsend Farms Berries Purchasers Left with Unanswered Questions
Updated Recall Information: The recalled product sold at Costco was Townsend Farms Organic Antioxidant Blend, 3 lb. bag and UPC 0 78414 404448. The recalled codes are located on the back of the package with the words “BEST BY”; followed by the code T012415 sequentially through T053115, followed by a letter. All of these letter designations are included in this recall for the lot codes listed above. The recalled product sold at Harris Teeter was Harris Teeter Organic Antioxidant Berry Blend, 10 oz. bag UPC 0 72036 70463 4. The correct “Lot” and “best by” codes are as follows: Lot Codes T041613E, T041613C and a “BEST BY” code of 101614. Attorney Fred Pritzker is representing people who contracted Hepatitis A after eating Townsend Farms Organic Antioxidant Blend purchased at a Costco … [Read more...]
Townsend Farms Hepatitis Outbreak Puts 9 in Hospital
Townsend Farms brand frozen mixed berries sold at Costco are associated with an outbreak of hepatitis A that has sickened 32 people in six states and put nine people in the hospital. About 1 of every 5 people with hepatitis A requires hospitalization, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Hepatitis A is a contagious viral infection that causes inflammation of the liver. Symptoms, which can take two to seven weeks after exposure to develop, include fever, fatigue, loss of appetite, vomiting, stomach pain, and yellowing of the skin or eyes. Sometimes, a person who is infected may have no symptoms at all. Others may have mild illness lasting a couple of weeks and some may have severe illness lasting several months. There is no specific treatment for … [Read more...]
