US Federal officials still can’t say for sure where the blackberries came from, but today they repeated their public warning about fresh berries that were sold in the fall of 2019 and linked to a multi-state hepatitis A outbreak.
As of today, public health labs have confirmed 20 patients in the seven-state outbreak, according to an investigation update from the Food and Drug Administration. More than half have been so sick they required hospitalization, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which is declaring the outbreak is over.
Even though the blackberries were sold in September, there has been an ongoing concern because so many people freeze fresh berries for later use in smoothies, salads, and desserts. Also, it can take up to 50 days after exposure to the liver virus for symptoms to develop, according to the CDC. The most recent person to be confirmed in the outbreak became ill on Nov. 15, 2019.
“People who purchased the fresh blackberries and then froze those berries for later consumption should not eat these berries. They should be thrown away,” the FDA warned today.
“If consumers purchased conventional blackberries from Fresh Thyme Farmers Market stores in the 11 (implicated) states . . . or from Woodman’s Market located in Wisconsin and Illinois between Sept. 9-30, ate those berries in the last two weeks, and have not been vaccinated for the hepatitis A virus, they should consult with their healthcare professional to determine whether post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) is indicated. PEP is recommended for unvaccinated people who have been exposed to HAV in the last two weeks.”
The 11 states where the fresh blackberries were sold are Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Minnesota, Nebraska, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.
