13 Ill, Five Hospitalized After Contracting Hepatitis A from Frozen Berries

 Posted on April 24, 2016 in Hepatitis

A victim can fall ill from eating nearly any type of food. Generally, meats and dairy products are the culprit, especially when they have not been stored or prepared correctly. But vegetables, fruits, and grains can also harbor dangerous bacteria that can cause victims to suffer from various types of food poisoning.

One example is the recent outbreak of Hepatitis A in Canada. At least 13 people have developed Hepatitis A after consuming frozen bags of Nature's Touch Organic Berry Cherry blend from Costco stores. In response, Costco recalled the product from its stores in Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, Labrador, New Brunswick, Ontario, and Quebec. Five had to be hospitalized because of the illness.

Symptoms of Hepatitis A

Unlike other types of food poisoning, which can begin to show symptoms hours or days after the victim consumed the contaminated food, symptoms of Hepatitis A often do not appear until two weeks after the victim has come into contact with the pathogen. This can make it very difficult for a victim to accurately determine where he or she contracted the illness, which can mean that many more people were actually affected by the contaminated berries than the number who reported that they had fallen ill.

Symptoms of Hepatitis A include the following:

• Joint pains;
• Nausea;
• Diarrhea;
• Vomiting;
• Muscle aches;
• Fatigue;
• Fever;
• Loss of appetite and weight loss;
• Dark urine; and
• Jaundice.

Treatment for Hepatitis A

Hepatitis A is a virus. There is no specific treatment for Hepatitis A. In most cases, the victim's body heals itself with rest. If you are suffering from Hepatitis A, do the following to help yourself recover:

• Avoid alcohol. The liver can suffer when a victim is battling Hepatitis A, and drinking alcohol puts more stress on your liver. Talk with your doctor about which medications you should take and which should be avoided, because many over-the-counter medications can also cause liver damage;
• Drink plenty of water. It is important to keep yourself hydrated when suffering from Hepatitis A and other types of food poisoning; and
• Do not eat foods that could make your nausea worse, like dairy products or rare and raw meats or fish. Instead, opt for bland, easily-digestible foods like rice.

Seek medical attention if your symptoms worsen. It can take a victim up to two months to fully recover from Hepatitis A.

Work with a Chicago Food Poisoning Attorney

If you or your child have suffered from food poisoning and you are now facing medical bills and other expenses as a result, you could be entitled to monetary compensation for your damages through a personal injury claim. To learn more about this process and to get started on your claim, contact our team of experienced food poisoning attorneys at Newland & Newland, LLP today to schedule your initial legal consultation with us. Our firm is located on North Clark street in Chicago.