Marine Agrifuture of Kahuku, Hawaii is recalling three products because they may be contaminated with Salmonella bacteria. This facility is linked to a Salmonella outbreak in Hawaii among people who ate Limu Poke, or raw fish with seafood. Fourteen people were sickened in mid-October in this outbreak. The Hawaii State Department of Health traced the seaweed back to Marine Agrifuture and found the bacteria in packaging and processing tanks and in the farm environment. The recalled products include Kahuku Ogo in plastic bags of various weights from 0.5 pounds to 35 pounds. They were sold from November 2, 2016 and before. Robusta Ogo is also recalled, sold in plastic bags in weights from 0.5 pounds to 35 pounds, sold from November 2, 2016 and before. Sea Asparagus is recalled, sold in 4 … [Read more...]
Marine Agrifuture Ordered to Stop Selling Products Linked to Salmonella Outbreak
The Hawaii Department of Health Sanitation Branch has ordered Marine Agrifuture LLC (also known as Olakai Hawaii) to cease and desist selling products because Salmonella bacteria was found in the packing and processing tanks and in the farm environment. The farm is located in Kahuku on Oahu. The press release states that "reports of Salmonella infections on Oahu were linked to consumption of ogo (or limu) and subsequently led to the investigation of Marine Agriculture LLC on November 2 and 7, 2016. During the investigation, testing was conducted on environmental, processing area, and ogo samples. Laboratory tests identified Salmonella bacteria in the packing and processing tanks and in the farm environment." The patients in this outbreak were sickened in mid to late October, … [Read more...]
Hawaii Salmonella Outbreak Linked to Limu Poke
The Hawaii State Department of Health is investigating 14 cases of Salmonella infections on the island of Oahu. All of these patients got sick in mid to late October, 2016. Four of those sickened have been hospitalized because their illnesses are so serious. A source of this outbreak has not yet been confirmed, but preliminary investigations have identified consumption of raw fish as the possible source of the pathogenic bacteria. It's worth noting that the hepatitis A outbreak in Hawaii that occurred in the summer of 2016 was also linked to raw seafood; in that case, raw scallops that were imported from the Philippines. The fish in question is poke that contains limu (also called "ogo" or "seaweed"). Consumption of that product is common among the cases in this outbreak. The … [Read more...]
Hawaii Hepatitis A Outbreak Grows by One New Case
The hepatitis A outbreak in Hawaii linked to imported raw scallops served at Genki Sushi locations has increased by one. As of November 2, 2016, 292 people have been sickened in this outbreak. Seventy-four patients, or 25%, have been hospitalized. Eleven of the patients are residents of the islands of Hawaii, Kauai, or Maui. Seven visitors have returned to the mainland or overseas. All of the remaining patients live on the island of Oahu. The maximum 50-day incubation period for this outbreak has passed, since the suspect food was embargoed on August 15, 2016. The scallops at the center of this outbreak were Sea Port Bay Scallops from the Philippines served raw at Genki Sushi restaurants on Oahu and Kauai. Public health investigators found the hepatitis A virus in that … [Read more...]
Hawaii Hepatitis A Outbreak Stops Growing
The hepatitis A outbreak in Hawaii that has sickened hundreds of people has stopped growing, according to a new post by the Hawaii state Department of Health. From October 6 to October 19, 2016, three new cases were identified. In the last week, no new cases were identified. Illness onset dates have ranged from 6/12/16 - 10/9/16. In total, 291 people were sickened in this outbreak. Seventy-three of them, or 25%, had to be hospitalized because they were so sick. The typical hospitalization rate in a hepatitis A outbreak is about 20%, so the number of people hospitalized in this outbreak is slightly higher than average. The 50 day maximum incubation period from the time the outbreak cause was identified has passed, so no new primary onset cases should be reported. Officials … [Read more...]
Oahu, Hawaii McDonald’s Worker Sick with Hepatitis A
A worker at the McDonald's of Kahala restaurant at 4618 Kilauea Avenue in Honolulu, Oahu has been diagnosed with hepatitis A, according to the Hawaii Department of Health. This announcement was made on the page that agency established for updates on the hepatitis A outbreak that has sickened almost 300 people in that state. Those sickened ate raw scallops at Genki Sushi restaurants that were imported from the Philippines. The outbreak has slowed considerably in the past few weeks. The food worker at McDonald's worked September 20-21, 23-24, 27-28, and October 1, 4-5, 7 and 11, 2016. If you ate or drank anything at that restaurant on those days, you may have been exposed to hepatitis A. State Epidemiologist Dr. Sarah Park said in a statement, "This case was identified and … [Read more...]
Hawaii Hepatitis A Outbreak Increases to 288 Sick
The hepatitis A outbreak in Hawaii that was linked to frozen raw scallops imported from the Philippines has now sickened 288 people as of October 5, 2016. That is an increase of six new cases since the last update on September 28, 2016. Seventy-one people, or 25%, have been hospitalized because their illness is so severe. Most of those sickened live on Oahu. Ten of the patients live on Hawaii, Kauai, or Maui, and six were visitors who have returned to the mainland or overseas. The 50-day incubation period from the date the scallops were embargoed has passed, but secondary infections can still occur. In addition, some people who were sickened earlier may decide to see a doctor now. Secondary cases have been rare in this outbreak, according to the Hawaiian Department of Health, and … [Read more...]
Hawaii Hepatitis A Outbreak Grows to 282 Sick
The hepatitis A outbreak in Hawaii linked to frozen scallops imported from the Philippines has now sickened 282 people, according to the latest update from the Hawaii State Department of Health. That is an increase of six new cases since the last update on September 21, 2016. All of the cases have been in adults. Seventy-one people have been hospitalized because their illness is so serious. That's a hospitalization rate of 25%, slightly higher than the average 20% rate in a typical hepatitis A outbreak. Most of those sickened live on the island of Oahu. Five people live on the mainland or overseas. Public health officials announced on August 15, 2016, that raw scallops served at Genki Sushi restaurants on Oahu and Kauai are the "likely source" of the ongoing outbreak. The product … [Read more...]
Food Worker at Benjamin Parker School in Kaneohe, HI Diagnosed with Hepatitis A
The principal of Benjamin Parker Elementary School in Kaneohe, Hawaii has sent a letter to parents telling them that a cafeteria kitchen worker has been diagnosed with hepatitis A. That person worked in the kitchen from August 28 to 30, 2016. All meals will be prepared offsite until further notice. All children should have been vaccinated against hepatitis A as part of routine childhood vaccinations. Any child who is vaccinated is immune to the illness caused by this virus. But any children who have not previously been vaccinated should be seen by their pediatrician for a discussion about a vaccination. The letter was sent out too late to warn parents and get their children vaccinated if they were not, since the shots are only effective if given within 14 days of exposure to the … [Read more...]
Hawaii Scallop Hepatitis A Outbreak Grows to 276 Sick
The hepatitis A outbreak in Hawaii that is linked to raw scallops imported from the Philippines served at Genki Sushi restaurants has grown by five more this week. That brings the total sickened to 276. All of the cases are in adults. Sixty-eight people have been hospitalized in this outbreak, about 24.6%. On August 15, 2016, public health officials discovered the hepatitis A virus in Sea Port Bay Scallops (Wild Harvest, Raw Frozen) from the Philippines that were distributed by Koha Oriental Foods and sold at Genki Sushi restaurants on Oahu and Kauai. Food workers at six restaurants and two flight attendants for Hawaiian Airlines have also been diagnosed with this illness. The restaurants and the airline are not the source of this outbreak, and no illnesses have been linked to … [Read more...]
