We are NOT authorized by Govt of India for Yellow Fever Vaccination

Wednesday, June 5, 2013

Hepatitis A cases spread to Hawaii - due to frozen berries

HEPATITIS A - USA (02): FROZEN BERRIES
**************************************
A ProMED-mail post
http://www.promedmail.org
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
http://www.isid.org

Date: Mon 3 Jun 2013
Source: Food Safety News [edited]
http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2013/06/outbreak-of-rare-strain-of-hepatitis-a-spreads-to-hawaii/#.UazBiNK-2So


Outbreak of rare strain of hepatitis A spreads to Hawaii
--------------------------------------------------------
Another Western state was touched by the outbreak of a rare strain of hepatitis A [virus], adding two more individuals to the list of those sickened nationwide. Hawaii is the sixth state to be added to the growing outbreak. State health officials in Hawaii say two adults, one from the island of Oahuand and the other from Kauai, are among those sickened with the liver disease.

Like at least another 30 victims on the mainland, the Hawaii residents are believed to have consumed a frozen organic berry mix purchased at local Costco outlets. The national warehouse outlet based in Seattle has removed the product from its shelves, and contacted members who purchased the mixed berry product. But the weekend passed without any official recall by manufacturer of the suspect product, Townsend Farms, based in Oregon.

Townsend Farms Organic Anti-Oxidant Blend contains berries from multiple locations (Argentina, Chile, and Turkey) and a pomegranate seed mix from Egypt, according to health officials. On Friday, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta said the outbreak strain (Hepatitis A virus, genotype 1B,) usually isn't seen in the Western Hemisphere, but is commoner in the Middle East and Northern Africa. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) expanded its ongoing investigation over the weekend to include Hawaii in addition to the original five sticker states of Arizona, California, Colorado, New Mexico, and Nevada.

Anyone who ate the Townsend Farms Organic Antioxidant Blend frozen berries in the last 14 days should contact their personal physician or public health department about getting a vaccination or immune globulin injections, which are administered prophylactically. Individuals requiring those treatments can become part of a class action lawsuit being filed against Townsend Farms today by the national foodborne illness law firm of Marler Clark. "Consumers of organic frozen berries should not have to worry about their safety," said William Marler, attorney for the plaintiffs. (Marler is also publisher of Food Safety News).

(byline: Dan Flynn)

--
communicated by:
ProMED-mail from HealthMap Alerts


[Recently outbreaks of hepatitis A associated with consumption of meals prepared with frozen berries have been reported from British Columbia, five mainland US states, several countries in Northern Europe, and now Hawaii. In all cases the outbreak strain was identified as hepatitis A virus, genotype 1B, a genotype rarely seen in the Americas, but commoner in the Middle East. In the previous incidents the source of the berries was not determined, but in the most recent incident in Hawaii the origin of the frozen berries was reported to be from multiple locations (Argentina, Chile, and Turkey). The outbreaks in the United States appear to have been traced to a single supplier, but as yet there has been no recall of the product. - Mod.CP

2 comments:

  1. I have already got yellow fever vaccination but from a private hospital. I have got a certificate on a private hospital letter head with vaccination batch no. etc. Please advise if basis this certificate may I get a government certificate. If they refuse then is it ok to take another injection of yellow fever after around 13 months?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi,
    You can repeat a live vaccine like Yellow fever vaccination after 1 month. The protection lasts for 10 years, so this is NOT recommended, but there is no safety issue in taking the vaccine after 13 months as in your case.
    It is always preferable to search about Yellow Fever Vaccination online or call the experts at Travelsafe Clinics, India, before taking the vaccine to avoid such problems.
    Warm regards

    ReplyDelete