Some 30 cases of hepatitis A reported in five states have been linked to frozen mixed berries purchased from Costco.
The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration are investigating an outbreak of the virus believed to be associated with the Oregon-based company Townsend Farms and its “organic anti-oxidant blend” of frozen berries.
Illnesses were reported in Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, Arizona and California. Costco has pulled the product from its shelves, although a formal recall has not been issued, the New York Daily News reports.
Symptoms of hepatitis A — a contagious liver disease — commonly include mild fever, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fatigue, pain in the upper right side of the abdomen, dark urine and jaundice, CBS Denver reports.
The disease varies in severity, with mild cases lasting two weeks or less and more severe cases lasting four to six weeks or longer, CBS Denver reports.
• Jessica Chasmar can be reached at jchasmar@washingtontimes.com.
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