Multistate outbreak of Hepatitis A potentially associated with a frozen berry blend food product
Advice to Consumers
- Do not eat ‘Townsend Farms Organic Anti-Oxidant Blend’ and discard any remaining product from your freezers.
- Even if some of the product has been eaten without anyone in your home becoming ill, the rest of the product should be discarded
- Hepatitis A vaccination can prevent illness if given within two weeks of exposure to the contaminated product.
- If you consumed this product in the last two weeks and have never been vaccinated, contact your health care provider to find out if you should be vaccinated. If you don’t have a health care provider (usually your doctor) contact your health department. You can find health department contact information at http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/international/relres.html
- If you have already received the hepatitis A vaccination in the past, you are unlikely to become ill with the disease
- Contact your health care provider right away if you develop any of these symptoms:
- Yellow eyes or skin
- Abdominal pain
- Pale stools
- Dark urine
- You can prevent cross-contamination in food preparation areas by thoroughly washing your hands with soap and water, and disinfect counters, cutting boards, and cooking utensils after use
- Wash your hands thoroughly right after using the bathroom, changing diapers, and before preparing, serving, or eating food.
- Please visit this website where more information will be posted as it becomes available.
Advice to Retailers
- Retailers and other food service operators should not sell or serve Townsend Farms Organic Anti-Oxidant Blend’ frozen berries.
Clinical Features:
Signs and symptoms of HAV infection- Illness occurs within 15 – 50 days of exposure and symptoms can includes fatigue, abdominal pain, jaundice, abnormal liver tests, dark urine, and pale stool.
-
Hepatitis A is a human disease and usually occurs when an
infected food handler prepares food without appropriate hand hygiene.
However, food contaminated with HAV, as is suspected in this outbreak,
can cause outbreaks of disease among persons who eat or handle food.
-
In rare cases, particularly in patients with pre-existing severe
illness or immune compromise, HAV infection can progress to liver
failure and death. Persons with underlying liver conditions should be
vaccinated.
For more information:
http://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/
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Federal sites
State/Local sites- Page last reviewed: May 31, 2013
- Page last updated: May 31, 2013
- Content source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases (NCEZID)
Division of Foodborne, Waterborne, and Environmental Diseases (DFWED)
800-CDC-INFO (800-232-4636) TTY: (888) 232-6348 - Contact CDC–INFO
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