Category Archives: Hepatitis A

USA- Hepatitis – Hardee’s, 451 Killian Road, Richland County link in another Hepatitis A scare

Posted on June 26, 2019 by | Leave a comment

Food Poison Journal

In a continuing effort to provide the public vital information about the spread of hepatitis A in South Carolina in the most efficient and appropriate manner, DHEC will report cases involving potential exposures at restaurants on our agency website.

Customers who ate at Hardee’s at 451 Killian Road, Richland County, between June 4 and June 20, 2019, might have been exposed to the hepatitis A virus. DHEC was notified on June 21, 2019, that an employee of the restaurant tested positive for hepatitis A. DHEC is working with Hardee’s to investigate possible exposures and provide guidance for preventive treatment for anyone who may be affected.

This illness is not a foodborne outbreak. The concern is not the restaurant. It is with a food handler who has hepatitis A infection, and they can spread the virus up to two weeks before they know they are sick.

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Posted in food contamination, food handler, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Pathogen, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Food Virus, Hepatitis A, Uncategorized, Virus

USA – Missouri Jack in the Box link in Hepatitis A scare

Posted on June 21, 2019 by | Leave a comment

Food Poison Journal

The Franklin County Health Department is planning mass vaccinations after learning an employee who works at the Jack in the Box located at the Bourbeuse River Access in Union, Missouri had Hepatitis A while serving customers.

The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services said the employee handled food on June 9 and June 10.

Hepatitis A  is a viral infection of the liver that can cause loss of appetite, nausea, tiredness, fever, and stomach pain. It’s usually spread when a person unknowingly ingests the virus from objects, food, or drinks that have been contaminated. Franklin County health officials have conducted several inspections of the Jack in the Box since the problem was discovered.

Health officials said it is uncommon for restaurant customers to become infected with Hepatitis A due to an infected food handler. However, anyone who consumed food or drinks at the restaurant on June 9 or June 10 is recommended to receive vaccination by June 23 as further protection from becoming ill.

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Posted in food contamination, food handler, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Pathogen, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Food Virus, Hepatitis A, Uncategorized

USA – Townsend Farms, Inc., Notifies Costco of Possible Health Risk and Recalls Conventional Frozen Kirkland Three Berry Blend – Hepatitis A

Posted on June 13, 2019 by | Leave a comment

FDA

Out of an abundance of caution, Townsend Farms, Inc. has notified Costco that a recent FDA test indicated that a domestic conventional frozen blackberry product manufactured by Townsend Farms, Inc., may be contaminated with Hepatitis A. Townsend Farms, Inc. used the domestic conventional frozen blackberry to manufacture the Kirkland Signature Three Berry Blend product with Best By Dates between February 16, 2020, and May 4, 2020. Costco only sold the product in stores located in San Diego and Los Angles, California and Hawaii. No product manufactured for Costco by Townsend Farms has tested positive for Hepatitis A. Costco has no product in its current inventory. Costco has been notifying its members about the potential health risk.

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Posted in food contamination, food handler, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Pathogen, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Food Virus, Hepatitis A, Uncategorized, Virus

USA – Public Health Alert Concerning Hepatitis A Virus Contamination of Kroger Brand Frozen Blackberries

Posted on June 10, 2019 by | Leave a comment

FDA

The FDA is alerting consumers to a hepatitis A virus (HAV) contamination of frozen blackberries under the Kroger grocery store “Private Selection” brand. This contamination was discovered by the FDA as a part of an ongoing frozen berry sampling assignment. The FDA is advising consumers not to eat and to throw away frozen fruit purchased from Kroger and other retail locations packaged under Kroger’s “Private Selection” brand. Here are the recalled products:

  • PRIVATE SELECTION FROZEN TRIPLE BERRY MEDLEY, 48 OZ (BEST BY: 07-07-20; UPC: 0001111079120);
  • PRIVATE SELECTION FROZEN TRIPLE BERRY MEDLEY, 16 OZ (BEST BY: 06-19-20; UPC: 0001111087808);
  • PRIVATE SELECTION FROZEN BLACKBERRIES, 16 OZ (BEST BY: 06-19-20, 07-02-20; UPC: 0001111087809)
Kroger Brand Frozen Blackberries

These products are available at Kroger and other retail locations and have a two-year shelf life. The FDA is working with the manufacturer on this matter. This posting will be updated with new information as it becomes available. The FDA is continuing to investigate to determine whether there are other implicated products.

At this time, the FDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are not aware of any cases of hepatitis A linked to the consumption of Kroger Private Selection brand frozen blackberries. Hepatitis A virus (HAV) can result in a liver infection that may be inapparent. However, when symptoms occur, they can range in severity from a mild illness lasting a few weeks to a severe illness lasting several months. HAV is found in the stool and blood of people who are infected. HAV is spread when someone ingests the virus, usually through person-to-person contact or from eating contaminated food or drink. Contamination of food with the hepatitis A virus can happen at any point: growing, harvesting, processing, handling, and even after cooking.

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Posted in food contamination, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Pathogen, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Food Virus, Hepatitis A, Uncategorized, Virus

USA – McDonalds hit twice with Hepatitis A scares

Posted on June 4, 2019 by | Leave a comment

Food Poison Journal

A few days ago, in Florida, ABC Action News I-Team uncovered an employee who worked inside McDonald’s at 8006 Osceola-Polk Line Road in Davenport had a confirmed case of Hepatitis A last week.

McDonald’s released the following statement:

“We were informed by the Polk County Health Department that one of our employees has become ill. We are fully cooperating with the health department in their review of this matter, an isolated instance at this restaurant, to ensure the health and safety of all our employees and customers. Today and always, we are committed to a safe and clean restaurant environment, and we have taken proactive steps to again completely sanitize our restaurant.”

In Indiana News 10 reported this morning that Sullivan County health officials are investigating a case of Hepatitis A at a local food handler and say the risk of infection is low for patrons who recently visited.

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Posted in food contamination, food handler, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Pathogen, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Food Virus, Hepatitis A, Uncategorized

USA – Possible Hepatitis A Exposure at Teriyaki Japan in North Augusta, SC

Posted on June 2, 2019 by | Leave a comment

Food Poisoning Bulletin Virusds

Customers who ate at Teriyaki Japan on Edgefield Road in North Augusta, South Carolina may have been exposed to the hepatitis A virus, according to a news release by the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control. Anyone who ate food or drank beverages between May 14 and May 28, 2019 could have been exposed to the virus.

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Posted in food contamination, food handler, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Pathogen, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Food Virus, Hepatitis A, Uncategorized, Virus

RASFF Alert -Hepatitis A – Mixed Frozen Berries

Posted on May 31, 2019 by | Leave a comment

RASFF-Logo

RASFF – hepatitis A virus (presence /25g) in mixed frozen berries from Italy, with raw material from Ukraine, Lithuania and Romania in Italy

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Posted in food contamination, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Pathogen, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Food Virus, Hepatitis A, Uncategorized, Virus

USA – Possible Hepatitis A Exposure at Roy Moore’s Fish Shack in Rockport, MA

Posted on May 21, 2019 by | Leave a comment

Food Poisoning Bulletin

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health is warning consumers that if they ate cold food or uncooked food at Roy Moore’s Fish Shack in Rockport, Massachusetts between April 21 and May 12, 2019 may have been exposed to hepatitis A. A food service employee of the restaurant who worked there during those dates has been confirmed as sick with hepatitis A.

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Posted in food contamination, food handler, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Pathogen, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Food Virus, Hepatitis A, Uncategorized, Virus

USA – FDA now tests frozen berries for Norovirus and Hepatitis A

Posted on May 17, 2019 by | Leave a comment

Food Dive Black_Butte_blackberry

  • The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has been sampling frozen strawberries, frozen raspberries and frozen blackberries for the presence of norovirus and hepatitis A since last November.
  • The agency noted four foodborne illness outbreaks between 1997 and 2016 were linked to frozen berries — three caused by hepatitis A and one by norovirus. The three hepatitis A outbreaks sickened 405 people and caused 53 hospitalizations, while the norovirus outbreak sickened 136, FDA said. Other illness outbreaks linked to frozen berries have occurred in Europe and elsewhere, the agency added.
  • The testing will last about 18 months, FDA said, and involves domestic samples in retail packaging from processors, distribution centers, warehouses, and retail locations. Samples of imported frozen berries will be gathered from ports of entry, importer warehouses and other storage facilities where foreign goods are cleared for entry into the U.S. The agency plans to test 2,000 samples and post quarterly results online.

 

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Posted in food contamination, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Pathogen, Food Safety, Food Testing, Food Virus, Hepatitis A, Norovirus, Uncategorized

Italy – Hepatitis cases linked to turmeric food supplements in Italy

Posted on May 15, 2019 by | Leave a comment

Food Safety News

Two cases of hepatitis have been associated with a brand of turmeric food supplements, according to Italian health authorities.

The Istituto Superiore di Sanità (National Institute of Health/ISS) reported that two types of turmeric food supplements of the company Ni.va. Di Destro Franco and Masetto Loretta S.n.c., based in Via Padova 56, Vigonza have been recalled.

Curcumina Plus 95 percent with production lot code 18L823 and expiration date of October 2021 and Curcumina 95 percent with production lot code 18M861 and expiration  date of November 2021 are affected.

They were produced by the firm Frama S.R.L. in Noventa Padovana.

ISS reported that the two acute cholestatic hepatitis cases “evolved favorably” but did not give more details on the patients or type of hepatitis involved.

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Posted in food contamination, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Poisoning, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, food supplement, Food Technology, Food Testing, Food Virus, Hepatitis A, Hepatitis E, Uncategorized