Scenic Fruit Frozen Strawberries are being recalled due to a hepatitis A outbreak investigation, according to the FDA. Hepatitis A has not been detected on this product, but consumers should stop consuming the berries out of an abundance of caution. The strawberries were sold to these stores: Costco, Aldi, KeHE, Vital Choice Seafood, and PCC Community Markets, and are in frozen Organic Tropical Fruit Blend sold to Trader Joe’s. Hepatitis A is a contagious liver disease that can cause serious complications and even liver failure in some people with pre-existing liver disease and immune system illnesses. Most people get sick within 15 to 50 days after consuming products contaminated with this virus. Symptoms of a hepatitis A infection include fatigue, diarrhea, low grade fever, … [Read more...]
Hepatitis A Outbreak Prompts Recall of Kirkland Strawberries
A hepatitis A outbreak has prompted the recall of Kirkland Signature Frozen Organic Strawberries sold at Costco stores in Los Angeles, Hawaii, and two San Diego business centers, according to the FDA. The FDA recall states that the recall is "due to an outbreak of hepatitis A illnesses." The recalling firm is California Splendor, Inc. of San Diego, California. The recall notice states that hepatitis A has not been detected on this product, but the recall is being issued out of an abundance of caution. There is a hepatitis A outbreak on the FDA's CORE Outbreak Investigation Table, At least five people are sick in that outbreak. Traceback, sample collection, and analysis has begun in that investigation. We do not know if the outbreak mentioned in the recall notice is this … [Read more...]
FDA Sampling Frozen Berries For Hepatitis A and Norovirus
The FDA is sampling frozen berries for both hepatitis A and norovirus, in the wake of three hepatitis A outbreaks and one norovirus outbreak linked to those products from 1997 to 2016. Two of those hepatitis A outbreaks, one in 2013 and the other in 2016, sickened more than 300 people in this country. The 2013 outbreak was linked to Townsend Farms Organic Antioxidant Blend, a mix of frozen berries, and sickened at least 162 people in 10 states with hepatitis A infections. The source of the virus was eventually determined to be pomegranate seeds that were imported from Goknur Foodstuffs Import Export Trading in Turkey. The 2016 outbreak, which sickened at least 143 people in 9 states, was linked to frozen strawberries made into smoothies at Tropical Smoothie Cafe restaurants in … [Read more...]
Five States List Facilities that Received Hepatitis A Strawberries
Five states have posted notices, either on their Facebook pages or on their state web sites, about the facilities that may have received frozen strawberries imported from Egypt that are associated with a hepatitis A outbreak. At least 134 people in 9 states have been diagnosed with the viral illness since the summer of 2016. Most of those patients ate smoothies made with the frozen strawberries at Tropical Smoothie Cafe locations in Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia, and North Carolina. Officials from Wyoming, Texas, California, Michigan, and Colorado have posted public health alerts about this issue. No hepatitis A illnesses have been linked to the berries sold in these locations, or in any other locations other than the original outbreak area, but the illness can take up to 50 … [Read more...]
Tropical Smoothie Cafe Hepatitis A Hospitalization Rate Double the Average
The Hepatitis A strain linked to Tropical Smoothie Cafe outbreak is packing a wallop. Generally, about 20 percent of people with a Hepatitis A infection require hospitalization, but in this outbreak, the hospitalization rate is 46 percent. The outbreak has been linked to frozen strawberries imported from Egypt, which were removed from all store locations on August 9, according to the company. But because Hepatitis A has an incubation period that can take up to 50 days, new cases are still being reported. So far, 81 cases in seven states have been confirmed: Maryland (6), New York (1), North Carolina (1), Oregon (1), Virginia (66), West Virginia (5), and Wisconsin (1). Hepatitis A, a virus that affects the liver, isn't common in the U.S. Since the vaccine against this virus was … [Read more...]
Tropical Smoothie Cafe Hepatitis A Outbreak: 81 Illnesses in 7 States
The Tropical Smoothie Cafe Hepatitis A outbreak continues to expand and now includes at least 81 confirmed cases in seven states. The outbreak has been linked to frozen strawberries imported from Egypt which, the company says, were removed from all stores on August 9. Most of the illnesses are in Virginia where the case count increased from 55 yesterday to 66 today. Hepatitis A has can take as long as 50 days to incubate, so although these cases are newly confirmed, they stem from contaminated smoothies served at Tropical Smoothie Cafes before August 9. The 66 people sickened in Virginia range in age from 14 to 68 and reported onset of illnesses dates ranging from May to August. About 42 percent of them were so sick they required hospitalization. The case count by region of the … [Read more...]
