A Red Lobster employee in Largo, Florida has tested positive for hepatitis A, according to news reports. There is no information about this issue on the Pinellas County Health Department website. The restaurant is located at 10500 East Ulmerton Road. That agency, along with the Division of Hotels and Restaurants, conducted an inspection at the facility after receiving confirmation about the diagnosis. The state found almost 40 violations during the inspection. One of the violations was employees not properly washing their hands. Hepatitis A is spread through contaminated feces. Inspectors saw the staff handled dirty dishes, then serve food to customers without washing their hands. Another inspector saw a cook switch from working with raw food to ready-to-eat food without … [Read more...]
Huge Hepatitis A Outbreak Linked to Townsend Farms Pomegranate Seeds
A huge outbreak of hepatitis A linked to pomegranate seeds in Townsend Farms Organic Antioxidant blend sickened 165 people in 10 states in 2013. Seventy-one people were hospitalized in this outbreak and several recalls were issued. The FDA also investigated this outbreak. The case count by state was as follows: Arizona (24), California (80), Colorado (29), Hawaii (8), New Hampshire (1), New Jersey (1), New Mexico (11), Nevada (6), Utah (3), and Wisconsin (2). Fifty-five percent of ill persons were female. The age range was from less than one year to 84 years. Illness onset dates ranged from 3/31/2013 - 8/12/2013. Forty-two percent of all ill persons were hospitalized. No deaths were reported. All people who reported eating this product before they became ill purchased it from Costco … [Read more...]
Hepatitis A Outbreak Stands at 155 Sick
As of July 29, 2013, there are 155 people confirmed sick with acute hepatitis A linked to Townsend Farms Organic Antioxidant Blend frozen berry and pomegranate mix, according to the CDC. Sixty-seven people have been hospitalized; no deaths have been reported. The outbreak case count is: Arizona (23), California (76), Colorado (27), Hawaii (8), New Hampshire (1), New Mexico (9), Nevada (6), Utah (3), and Wisconsin (2). The age range is between 1 and 84 years. Eleven children age 18 and under are sick; none were previously vaccinated against hepatitis A. Illness onset dates range from 3/31/13 to 7/14/13. Forty-three percent of those sickened have been hospitalized. All ill persons who reported eating the recalled product purchased it from Costco markets. The outbreak strain of the … [Read more...]
Hepatitis A Outbreak Linked to Townsend Farms Berries Now at 151 Sick
The multi-state hepatitis A outbreak linked to Townsend Farms Organic Antioxidant Blend frozen berry and pomegranate mix sold at Costco stores has grown to include 151 sickened. Sixty-six people have been hospitalized in this outbreak. No deaths have been reported. The case count by state is: Arizona (22), California (74), Colorado (27), Hawaii (8), New Mexico (9), Nevada (6), Utah (3), and Wisconsin (2). The age range of patients is from 1 to 84 years. Fifty-seven percent of patients are between the ages of 40 and 64 years. All ill persons who reported eating the recalled Townsend Farms products bought it from Costco stores. The outbreak strain of the hepatitis A virus was found in clinical specimens of 89 people in seven states. If you ate or touched this product, please … [Read more...]
Hepatitis A Outbreak Linked to Townsend Farms Pomegranate Seeds Now at 149 Sick
As of July 17, 2013, 149 people are now sick in the hepatitis A outbreak linked to Townsend Farms Organic Antioxidant Blend frozen berry and pomegranate mix. Sixty-five people have been hospitalized in this outbreak with acute hepatitis A. No deaths have been reported. The case count is as follows: Arizona (22), California (73), Colorado (27), Hawaii (8), New Mexico (8), Nevada (6), Utah (3), and Wisconsin (2). The outbreak strain of the virus was found in clinical specimens of 88 people in seven states: Arizona (11), California (34), Colorado (23), Hawaii (7), New Mexico (6), Nevada (5) and Wisconsin (2). The age range of patients is from 1 to 84 years. Fifty-seven percent of those sickened are between the ages of 40 and 64. Ten children who are 18 years or younger have been … [Read more...]
Hepatitis Still Being Tracked in Costco Berry Blend Outbreak
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said this week that it is still tracking hepatitis A cases throughout the country as part of its surveillance of a Hep A outbreak associated with Townsend Farms Organic Antioxidant Blend of berries and pomegranate seeds sold at Costco stores. Oregon-based Townsend Farms issued recalls of the frozen berry mix starting in early June, two months after the first illnesses were detected. As of July 15, there were 147 confirmed case patients from California, Colorado, Arizona and five other states. At least 63 of the Hepatitis victims were hospitalized. New illnesses were occurring as recently as July 1 and the CDC has not declared the Townsend Farms outbreak to be complete. Joint announcements by the CDC and FDA have indicated … [Read more...]
Hepatitis A Outbreak Linked to Townsend Farms-Costco Pomegranate Seeds Grows Again
As of July 11, 2013, 145 people in eight states have now been sickened in the Townsend Farms-Costco hepatitis A pomegranate seed outbreak. Sixty-three people have been hospitalized; no deaths have been reported. Those sickened ate the recalled Townsend Farms Organic Antioxidant Blend frozen berry and pomegranate mix purchased from Costco. Investigations have traced the virus back to pomegranate seeds imported from Turkey by Goknur Foodstuffs Import Export Trading. The case count per state is: Arizona (21), California (70), Colorado (28), Hawaii (8), New Mexico (7), Nevada (6), Utah (3), and Wisconsin (2). The cases in Wisconsin were exposed to the product in California. Fifty-six percent of the ill persons are women. The age range is from 1 to 84 years. Ten children age 18 or under … [Read more...]
Legal Review of Liability Continues in Costco Hepatitis Lawsuit
U.S. District Court in Arizona is the venue for a Costco hepatitis lawsuit where food poisoning lawyers from Pritzker Olsen Attorneys and local counsel are attempting to establish where the fault lies for an outbreak in California, Colorado, Arizona and five other states that federal disease investigators have associated with Townsend Farms Organic Antioxidant Blend. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), all ill people who reported eating this mixed berry product purchased it from Costco markets. The product also was sold at Harris Teeter stores, but no ill people have been identified that bought the product at Harris Teeter, the CDC has said. The hepatitis lawsuit (2:13-cv-01181-ROS) names Costco Wholesale Corp. and Oregon-based Townsend Farms Inc. as … [Read more...]
Townsend Farms Hepatitis A Outbreak Grows to 140 Sick
The CDC has announced that the hepatitis A outbreak linked to pomegranate seeds imported from Turkey has grown to include 140 people. Sixty-one people have been hospitalized in this outbreak; no deaths have been reported. The seeds were included in the Townsend Farms product Organic Antioxidant Blend frozen berry and pomegranate mix that has been recalled. Those sickened in this outbreak live in these states: Arizona (20), California (69), Colorado (26), Hawaii (8), New Mexico (6), Nevada (6), Utah (3), and Wisconsin (2). All of those hospitalized are over 18 years of age. Eight children are sick in this outbreak; none were previously vaccinated against the hepatitis A virus. All ill persons who reported eating the recalled Townsend Farms product purchased it from Costco markets. … [Read more...]
Townsend Farms Pomegranate Seed Hepatitis A Outbreak Now at 136
The hepatitis A outbreak linked to Townsend Farms-Costco pomegranate seeds has now sickened 136 people, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. As of July 2, 2013, people are sick in 8 states, and 59 people have been hospitalized. No deaths have been reported. The case count by state is: Arizona (20), California (67), Colorado (25), Hawaii (7), New Mexico (6), Nevada (6), Utah (3), and Wisconsin (2). Eight children are part of this outbreak; none of them were previously vaccinated against the hepatitis A virus. Most people (58%) in this outbreak are between the ages of 40 and 64 years. All ill persons who reported eating the recalled Townsend Farms Organic Antioxidant Blend frozen berry and pomegranate mix linked to the outbreak purchased it at Costco stores. … [Read more...]
