Store-Bought Blackberries Suspected to be the Culprit in Recent Outbreak of Hepatitis A

(Photo : Don Lu, Unsplash)
The FDA encouraged people to throw away the blackberries they purchased between September 9 to 30 from Fresh Thyme stores.

Health officials had warned people from consuming blackberries from an Illinois-based chain grocery store after investigations had linked it to the recent Hepatitis A outbreak on multiple states.

According to the investigation of the Food and Drug Administration and US Centers for Disease Control, patients felt ill after consuming fresh, non-organic blackberries bought from Fresh Thyme. At least 11 people have gotten sick, with six of them coming from Nebraska. Other states who have reported cases are Indiana and Wisconsin. Six patients were hospitalized so far.

The FDA encouraged people to throw away the blackberries they purchased between September 9 to 30 from Fresh Thyme stores, including those who bought it on states that have no outbreak. 

There are 11 branches that sell those blackberries: Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Minnesota, Nebraska, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. According to the FDA, it was shipped from a distribution center associated with Fresh Thymes.

Fresh Thyme claimed that they strictly comply with food handling standards imposed by both local and health federal. But they are also conducting their own investigations to find out how the berries became contaminated.

A re-emerging disease?

Despite being vaccine-preventable, a study published in May that the total number of Hepatitis A patients between 2016 and 2018 has increased by almost 300 percent.

According to the CDC, there are multiple outbreaks that occurred since 2016, including the multi-scale outbreak linked to frozen strawberries. At least 8,500 hospitalizations and 140 deaths all over the United States were reported.

Between 1996 and 2011, the cases have declined by 95 percent. 

Dr. Anne Schuchat, the principal deputy director of the CDC, blamed forgoing vaccines to be the reason for these recent increases. She also noted that most cases were on adults.

The hepatitis A vaccine decreases the risk by at least 95 percent, the CDC also claimed.

What is Hepatitis A?

According to Mayo Clinic, hepatitis A is a highly contagious liver infection caused by the hepatitis A virus. It is primarily associated with inadequate personal hygiene and food and water sanitation, but it can be acquired through sexual encounters. 

Common symptoms include fatigue, low appetite, stomach pain, nausea, and jaundice, according to the CDC. After the infection cures, lifelong anti-bodies were developed, and that's why the CDC is urging everyone to get vaccinated.

Unlike its other variants like hepatitis B and C, hepatitis A is not usually fatal, and most people who suffered from it recover without encountering permanent liver damage. However, it may cause acute liver failure that is usually fatal. 

In 2016, the World Health Organization reported that there were at least 7,100 deaths or about 0.5 percent of total death related to the hepatitis A virus.

The WHO also reported that hepatitis A is one of the most common food-borne diseases. Epidemics related to food and water can also be extensive, just like what happened to Shanghai in 1988 when at least 300,000 have gotten ill. 

READ: Hepatitis A Outbreak Traced To NC Hardee's: People Who Dined There Are Urged To Get Vaccinated