FDA Detains Imported Pomegranate Seeds Linked to Hepatitis A

FDA Detains Imported Pomegranate Seeds Linked to Hepatitis A

By Robert J. Boumis

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced last week that they are detaining shipments of pomegranate seeds imported to the United States by Goknur Foodstuffs Import Export Trading of Turkey. The action is part of an investigation by the FDA and other authorities into a Hepatitis A outbreak linked to a frozen berry mix sold at Costco.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 131 people have been confirmed ill from the Hepatitis A outbreak after eating “Townsend Farms Organic Antioxidant Blend” frozen berries containing the pomegranate seeds. The cases have been reported across eight states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah, and Wisconsin.

The Hepatitis A cases in Wisconsin were probably exposed in California, according to the CDC’s update on the manner. Victims ranged in age between 1 and 84 years of age. All people who reported Hepatitis A from this outbreak ate the Townsend Farms frozen berry blend from Costco. While Harris Teeter stores also sold these products, no one has reported Hepatitis A symptoms after eating products from their stores.

What is Hepatitis A?

Hepatitis A is a virus common in developing nations. Oddly, most of the various Hepatitis viruses are not closely related; but all infect the human liver. For example, the Hepatitis A virus (HAV) is not closely related to the more dangerous Hepatitis C virus. HAV infection typically causes acute illness – a sudden, possibly violent, short-term illness as opposed to a lingering long-term illness like some forms of Hepatitis.

Since HAV attacks the liver, it causes a variety of symptoms. Like many infections, it initially resembles the flu, but it progresses to more serious health problems. Patients experience fatigue, fever, loss of appetite, more severe than the seasonal flu.

Additionally, the damage to the liver causes a buildup of bilirubin, a waste product the liver usually breaks down. This causes a yellowing of the skin and eyes, called jaundice. It also darkens the urine. The symptoms of Hepatitis A can last between 2 and 6 months.

Hepatitis A can be prevented through vaccination and good hygiene/sanitation. The virus spreads from contact with infected fecal matter. Foods irrigated with reclaim water can spread the virus. In the United States, effective sanitation has made unusual to encounter the virus, to the point that most Americans are not vaccinated. However, patients who first encounter the virus as adults tend to suffer from more sever illness. In fact, in developing nations, adults are often effectively immune to the virus from mild infections in childhood. But in the United States, an adult exposed to the virus could suffer debilitating illness.

Lawsuits Filed Over the Frozen Berry Hepatitis A Outbreak

Currently, lawsuits are being filed against Costco, which sold the product, and Townsend Farms, which manufactured the berry mix. These plaintiffs all came down with HAV after consuming Townsend Farms’ frozen berry mix from Costco. The lawsuits allege that these companies were negligent for allowing consumers to be exposed to this potentially-fatal disease. Such lawsuits can seek damages related to loss wages, medical expenses, and pain and suffering.

File Your Own Lawsuit

If you developed an HAV infection after consuming frozen berry mix from Costco, you may find yourself suffering from debilitating or even life-threatening illness. In such a situation, it’s normal to feel overwhelmed. But you need to remember that you have rights and there are steps that you can take to regain control over your life.

You can start by visiting the Costco Hepatitis A Frozen Berry Recall Lawsuit Investigation. Here, you can enter your information for a free review by a legal specialist with a background in this type of litigation. From here, you can receive guidance on the best steps to take in your specific situation.

Updated July 3rd, 2013

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