At Least 16 People Have Contracted Hepatitis A In Blackberry-Related Outbreak

Photo credit: Adél Békefi - Getty Images
Photo credit: Adél Békefi - Getty Images

From Country Living

The latest food recall news includes a hepatitis A outbreak linked to store-bought blackberries.

Back in November, the CDC announced the initial recall of blackberries purchased at Fresh Thyme Farmers Markets during September 2019 may be at risk of contamination. According to the CDC report, as of December 2, the outbreak was ongoing and had reached six states.

The states involved include Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, and Wisconsin. Sixteen cases of hepatitis A have been reported in connection with this recall across the states, and nine individuals had been hospitalized at the time of this piece. There have been no related fatalities.

The CDC urges individuals who purchased blackberries, either fresh or frozen, from Fresh Thyme between the dates of September 9 and September 30 of this year to dispose of the products as they could potentially be contaminated. This investigation is ongoing.

Hepatitis A is an infection caused by the virus and is characterized by symptoms like stomach pain, loss of appetite, fever, yellow skin or eyes, dark urine, and diarrhea. Symptoms typically appear two-to-seven weeks after exposure to the virus.

The CDC report says through the investigation, a common supplier of the blackberries has not yet been identified, although many patients who were interviewed had purchased the fruit from Fresh Thyme Market locations.

According to the release: "The FDA and regulatory officials in several states have collected records from grocery stores where ill people reported buying fresh blackberries and are conducting traceback investigations to try to identify a specific source of the fresh blackberries."

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