The Townsend Farms Organic Anti-oxidant Blend Frozen Berry Mix, a frozen berry and pomegranate seed mix, has been named the culprit in the five-state hepatitis A outbreak. According to the label, the berry blend contained pomegranate seeds and other produce from the US, Argentina, Chile, and Turkey.The fruit mix in sold in food wholesaler Costco. The store is doing its best to notify all members who purchased the product since late February and has since removed it from its shelves.
According to the CDC, hepatitis A is a highly contagious liver infection caused by the hepatitis A virus. Of all the people who have ever been sickened with hepatitis A, 47 percent have been hospitalized, CDC said. Common symptoms are fever, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, abdominal and joint pain.
An outbreak has sickened at least 30 people across five states. The states involved are Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, Arizona, and California. In a release Friday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the first victims fell ill on April 29 and the most recent case was on May 17. The CDC is expecting even more victims to come forward.
The virus is most often passed on when those infected handle and prepare food with dirty hands.
