Hepatitis a Transmitted by Frozen Strawberries in Virginia, Virus Traced to Smoothie
The hepatitis a Cases Reported in Virginia Are Most Likely Dependent on A Consignment of Frozen Strawberries Imported from Egypt ’ Egypt. Suspicions Focused On The Smoothie Garnished with Frozen Strawberries Consumead During August 5, 6, 7 and 8. Subsequently, sampling was conducted on a package that was still intact, on which hepatitis a virus was found to be present. A Special Rapid Food Alert System Was, Therefore, Activated by the State Public Health Alert Authorities. The News Emeres from A Circular That Virginia Officials Sent to the State Department of Agriculture, The Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The Disease Outbreaks Have Been Linked to Consumection of Imported Frozen Strawberries from Egypt. The Restaurant Chain Has Already Withdrawn The Implicated Strawberries from All Its Restaurants. Virginia Health Officials in Their Alert Advise that Anyone Who has consumed a smootie with strawberries at a Restaurant in the Past 50 Days Shound Check Themselves for Sympoms of Hepatitis a ’ Hepatitis a. Hepatitis a is a Liver Disease Caused by the hepatitis a virus (Hav). Transmission of the infection occurs via the orofecal route. Infiction Usually occurs Through Direct Person-to-Person Contact, While Only Rarely Have Cases of Infection Been Observed Through Blood Transfusions or Blood Products.
Common Cause of Infection is the consumption of raw or undertarding water or food, expedally shellfish, contaminated with fecal material containing the virus. Transmission of the Virus Through Same-Sex Sexual Inarcourse With Infected Person, As Well As Though Sharing of Material Used For Injecting Drugs, IS Fairly Widespared. The virus is present in the feces from 7-10 days before the onset of sympoms, up to a week later, While it is only present in the Blood for a few days after infection.
Hepatitis a Virus Causes Sudden and Short-Lived Discomfort. The Severity of Sympetoms Varies According to the Age of the Patient. Children May Show No Sympoms, While in Adults The Disease May Manifest with Mild Flu-Like Sympoms, Usually 2 to 7 Weeks After Contact With The Virus.
They Generally Involve Fatigue and Exhaust, Fever (Up to 38 ° C), Loss of Appetite, Nausea, Headache, Muscle Aches, Pain in the Abdomen (Below the Ribs, on the right side, at the Liver). AS The Disease Continues, Other Sympoms Slow, Such As Very Dark Urine Staining, Very Light Stool Staining, Jaunice, and Itching. Serious complications of hepatitis a are extremely rare, Such that mons. In Italy, Explains Giovanni D’Agata President of “Rights Desk,” An Association that has Always Been Committed to Health and Prevention, There Remains the problem of Frozen StraWberries Purchased from Companies that May Have The Contambed Raw Material from Egypt to Sell it Directly or use it as an ingredient for other Frozen Desserts. Based on Istat Data: “ in Italy, Imports of Frozen Strawberries from Non-Eu Countries Have Incased by 8%”.
The Association Points Out that the New Alert Confirm The Food Safety Limitions That Often Characterize produces from Outside The Eu. “ it. According to the ’ Latest Statistical Data, More Than 12.8 Million Pounds of Frozen Berries Were Imported Intoly from Non-Eu Countries ”. In light of this alert and the data from the ’ Import of Frozen Berries, The Ministry of Health is urged to make a proper risk assessment, Keeping a Special Focus on the Surveillance of Viral Hepatitis a.