Hep A is among the diseases spread by people not washing their hands—and it’s managed to contaminate a frozen bag of mixed berries, manufactured in Idaho and sold in Costco stores as “Townsend Farms Organic Antioxidant Blend”.
Normally, frozen fruit is a great way to get nutrients. Fruit’s flash frozen at peak ripeness—but I guess viruses and bacteria can end up being preserved, too!
If you have the berries, throw them out. If you’ve eaten it in the last two weeks, make sure you’ve had your Hep A vaccine (it can prevent you getting sick if you’ve been exposed but not developed symptoms yet).
If you’ve been exposed, watch carefully for symptoms, and don’t go to work, anywhere around children (daycares, etc.) or other public places if you start feeling the least bit sick. Anyone with a weak immune system is at high risk for severe symptoms!
Hepatitis A, like Hep C, is a liver disease. It can appear up to 7 weeks after exposure to the virus, and is fairly contagious (in fact, it’s also known as “infectious Hepatitis”).
Mild symptoms of Hep A look like the flu (fatigue, nausea, fever), but more advanced symptoms look like jaundice, and include:
-Yellow eyes and yellowed skin
-Dark Urine
-Appetite Loss
-Change in feces color
Most people have Hep A symptoms for a couple of months, but people with a weakened immune system can be sick for 6 months or longer.
Yet another good reason to check out Colloids For Life’s immune supporting products!
Do you buy frozen fruit? Any concerns about contamination? Do you think fruit pickers should be required to wash their hands first, same as other food industry workers?
