Frozen berries sold at Costco linked to 30 cases of Hepatitis A

Dozens of people in five states including California were infected with Hepatitis A after consuming contaminated packages of frozen berries they bought at Costco.

As of Friday, the FDA and the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention were investigating 30 cases of Hepatitis A, the Associated Press reported. Packages of Townsend Farms Organic Anti-Oxidant Blend of frozen berries from a farm in Oregon were linked to illnesses reported in California, Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada and Arizona.

According to the CDC, most of the people who got sick reported buying the berries at Costco. The store has pulled the product from its shelves and is attempting to contact customers who purchased the berries.

“It just didn’t taste right, which meant we didn’t eat too much of it,” said L.A. Times SEO chief Amy Hubbard, who purchased the berries from the Torrance Costco on SkyPark Drive.

Hubbard received a call Friday informing her of the contaminated berries and let her know that if she brought the bag back to the store, she could receive a refund.

Hepatitis A is a highly contagious liver disease that is often spread through food by infected food handlers who do not wash their hands. Symptoms include fatigue, nausea and vomiting, abdominal pain or discomfort, loss of appetite, low-grade fever, dark urine, muscle pain and jaundice, according the Mayo Clinic.

The disease can last anywhere from a few days to a couple weeks and there is no specific treatment.

No government recall has been announced, just a CDC recommendation that retailers not sell or serve the berries.

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