According to the Hawaii State Department of Health, a food worker at Harbor Restaurant on Pier 38 at 1133 North Nimitz Highway in Honolulu, Oahu has been diagnosed with hepatitis A. That person worked at the restaurant from August 26 through September 12, 2016. There is a hepatitis A outbreak in Hawaii that has sickened at least 271 people, but public health officials stress that the Harbor Restaurant is not the source of the outbreak, and no illnesses have been linked to that facility. Still, anyone who ate there on the dates in question may have been exposed to hepatitis A, since the virus is very contagious and easily spread through food and drink. That hepatitis A outbreak has been linked to frozen scallops imported from the Philippines, that were served raw at Genki Sushi … [Read more...]
Hepatitis A in Berries in Australia Similar to 2013 U.S. Outbreak
An outbreak of hepatitis A in Australia linked to frozen berries from China has prompted memories of a huge 2013 hepatitis A outbreak linked to frozen berries in the U.S. At least five people in Australia are currently sick with the virus. In 2013, traceback investigation in the U.S. outbreak found that the virus was likely in frozen imported pomegranate seeds from Turkey that was used in Townsend Farms Organic Antioxidant Blend. One hundred sixty-five people were sickened; their illness onset dates ranged from 3/31/2013 - 8/12/2013. Forty-two percent of patients were hospitalized. All ill people who reported eating the recalled Townsend Farms product purchased it from Costco markets. Attorney Fred Pritzker, who represents clients in the U.S. outbreak, said, "people who bought this … [Read more...]
Rosa’s Restaurant Cited with Violations Before Hepatitis A Warning
Before a Rosa's Restaurant employee was diagnosed with Hepatitis A last month, the facility was cited for handwashing violations. The violations were for employees not washing their hands in a timely manner, workers not performing proper handwashing, and the business not providing paper towel for the handwashing facilities. Other employees were observed making food with their bare hands, which is a food safety violation. At least four Hamilton area New Jersey residents developed Hepatitis A; they ate at the restaurant during the time the ill employee worked there, but officials aren't sure if the cases are directly linked to the restaurant. The restaurant was closed and cleaned after an employee told the owners he had been diagnosed with the disease. Public health officials have … [Read more...]
Another Update on Hepatitis A Vaccinations in Cabarrus County, NC
A hepatitis A alert has been issued by the Cabarrus Health Alliance, after a manager at the Chuck E. Cheese restaurant at 8016 Cambridge Commons Drive, Suite B in Charlotte, North Carolina, was diagnosed with the illness. Anyone who ate at the restaurant between March 24 and April 7, 2014 should be vaccinated against the virus. The vaccine is only effective if given within 14 days of exposure. If you ate there before March 29, 2014 and have not been vaccinated, you must monitor yourself for the symptoms of hepatitis A and go to a doctor if you get sick. Those symptoms include nausea, fever, diarrhea, light-colored stool, dark-colored urine, tiredness, loss of appetite, yellow eyes and skin (jaundice), and abdominal cramps. Anyone with a pre-existing liver condition could become … [Read more...]
Customers Exposed to Hepatitis A at New Hawaii Sea Bronx Restaurant
The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene is warning customers of the New Hawaii Sea restaurant in the Bronx that they may have been exposed to the hepatitis A virus. Five people are sick with this virus, including one employee and four customers. The restaurant is located at 1475 Williamsbridge Road in the Bronx, New York City. Anyone who ate there, either in-store, or through catering or delivery, between September 7 and September 19, 2013 may have been exposed. Any leftover food from the restaurant should be discarded. If you ate at that restaurant or consumed food prepared there during that time period, contact your doctor to see if you should be vaccinated. Hepatitis A is spread through food, direct contact, and drink that has been prepared, served, or touched by … [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-Costco Hepatitis A Outbreak Grows to 143 Sick
The Townsend Farms-Costco Hepatitis A outbreak linked to imported pomegranate seeds from Turkey has grown to include 143 sick, according to the CDC. So far, 62 people have been hospitalized. There have been no deaths. The outbreak case count by state is: Arizona (21), California (69), Colorado (28), Hawaii (8), New Mexico (6), Nevada (6), Utah (3), and Wisconsin (2). Illness onset dates range from 3/31/13 to 6/24/13. All of the sick people reported purchasing the product from Costco markets. The age range of patients is from 1 to 84 years. The CDC and FDA have determined that the most likely source of the virus is a shipment of pomegranate seeds from Goknur Foodstuffs Import Export Trading, a company in Turkey. That product is being detained by the FDA when it is offered for … [Read more...]
FDA Detains Pomegranate Seeds Imported from Goknur of Turkey
The FDA is detaining shipments of pomegranate seeds from Goknur Gida Maddeleri Ithalat thracat Tic (Goknur Foodstuffs Import Export Trading) of Turkey when they are offered for import into the country. This action is from the investigation into the hepatitis A outbreak linked to Townsend Farms Organic Antioxidant Blend frozen berry and pomegranate mix sold at Costco stores. That outbreak has sickened 127 people in eight states as of June 27, 2013. The FDA and CDC have determined that the most likely vehicle for the virus is a common shipment of pomegranate seeds from Goknur used by Townsend Farms to make the product that was recalled in June. The seeds were also used to make the recalled Scenic Fruit Company Woodstock Frozen Organic Pomegranate Kernels. Michael R. Taylor, deputy … [Read more...]
Townsend-Costco Hepatitis A Outbreak Count Now at 127
For the first time, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have used the word "linked" to refer to the multistate outbreak of hepatitis A infections and Townsend Farms Organic Antioxidant Blend frozen berries sold at Costco stores. Now 127 people have been sickened in this outbreak. Fifty five people have been hospitalized. The investigation has revealed that the most likely vehicle for the hepatitis A virus is a common shipment of pomegranate seeds from Turkey used by Scenic Fruit Company to make the recalled Woodstock Frozen Organic Pomegranate Kernels and by Townsend Farms to make their recalled product. The pomegranate seeds from this shipment were the only ingredient common to all of the recalled products. The case count per state in this outbreak is: Arizona (17), … [Read more...]
New Hepatitis A Recall: Woodstock Organic Pomegranate Kernels
Scenic Fruit Company of Oregon is recalling 61,092 bags of Woodstock Frozen Organic Pomegranate Kernels because they have the potential to be contaminated with the Hepatitis A virus. No illnesses are currently associated with the seeds, and product testing shows no presence of the virus in the seeds, but this recall is occurring because the pomegranates are imported from Turkey. A multistate hepatitis A outbreak associated with Townsend Farms Organic Antioxidant Blend frozen berry and pomegranate mix is ongoing at this time. The pomegranate seeds in that product were also imported from Turkey. And the type of hepatitis A in the Townsend Farms product is common in the Middle East and Africa. The product was shipped from February 2013 through May 2013 to UNFI distribution centers … [Read more...]
