Frozen Raspberries Recalled for Possible Hepatitis A Contamination - ConsumerReports.org

Hepatitis A is an inflammation of the liver. Unlike other types of hepatitis, hepatitis A isn’t chronic—it usually clears up on its own. Symptoms include fatigue, low appetite, stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and jaundice.

There's no treatment for hepatitis A. Symptoms usually last less than two months, but in some people they can last up to six months, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In rare cases, it can cause liver failure and death. There is a vaccine to prevent hepatitis A. And if you have been infected with the virus, you can't get it again. 

It isn’t known how the berries involved in this particular recall became contaminated, but in general the virus is spread by what experts call the “fecal oral route.”

“If a food worker has the virus and doesn’t adequately wash his or her hands after using the bathroom, the food could become contaminated,” says James E. Rogers, Ph.D., director of food safety research and testing at Consumer Reports. Contaminated water could also be the source.

“Cooking would kill hepatitis A, but freezing does not,” says Rogers. “Most people don’t cook frozen berries in any case."

https://ift.tt/2N2Kd36