Health officials are now saying that a frozen berry/pomegranate mix may responsible for a recent outbreak of hepatitis A, according to U.S. News & World Report's HealthDay.
Forty-nine people in Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah, California, Arizona and Hawaii have been reported ill with hepatitis A, which may be connected to Townsend Farms Organic Anti-Oxidant Blend frozen berry and pomegranate mix, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported in an issue updated on Tuesday.
The mix was recalled by Townsend Farms on Monday, which was being sold to stores like Costco and Harris Teeter, the Associated Press reported. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), hepatitis A illnesses typically arise within 14 and 28 days of infection, with symptoms that may include nausea, fever, lethargy, jaundice and loss of appetite. A vaccine against the virus may ease symptoms if given soon after exposure.
The CDC said that 19 out of 25 patients who were interviewed said that they had eaten Townsend Farms Organic Anti-Oxidant Blend frozen berry and pomegranate mix , and that they had bought the product from Costco markets. Investigators are still trying to determine if the product is being sold at other stores. The AP said that Costco voluntarily removed the product from its shelves and is now notifying members who purchased the mix since late February. Harris Teeter Supermarkets has also voluntarily pulled the mix.
Preliminary lab analyses of two patients suggest that the particular strain of hepatitis A responsible for the outbreak is rare in North America but common in Africa and the Middle East, and was pinpointed as the cause of the outbreak in Europe linked to frozen berries and a 2012 outbreak in British Columbia associated with a frozen berry blend with pomegranate seeds from Egypt, according to the CDC.
"We do have very good records, we know where the (pomegranate seeds) came from, we're looking into who the broker is and we're sourcing it back up the food chain to get to it," Bill Gaar, a lawyer representing Townsend Farms, said last week to the AP.
He added that the Organic Anti-Oxidant Blend was the company's only mix that contained pomegranate seeds from Turkey, where the berries may have originally been contaminated.
According to the Examiner, none of the infected individuals were hospitalized and all have recovered. However, food safety attorneys at Marler Clark have filed at least two lawsuits on behalf of the individuals who contracted the virus from the berry mix.
"Consumers of frozen berries should not have to worry about their safety," William Marler, attorney for the plaintiffs, said in a press release. "Christine Favero, Jacob Petersen and others who ate the Townsend Farms product deserve more."
Click here to see a picture of the berry mix blend that has been linked to the infections.
