--- title: "Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Washington Hepatitis A Outbreak" date: 2013-06-13T20:04:55-07:00 author: Bill Marler canonical_url: "https://marlerclark.com/news_events/arizona-california-colorado-hawaii-nevada-new-mexico-utah-and-washington-hepatitis-a-outbreak" section: News --- [All News](/news_events) / # Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Washington Hepatitis A Outbreak As of June 12, 2013, we are investigating acute hepatitis A illnesses in 97 people in eight states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Washington. 66 of 76 (87%) ill people interviewed reported eating “Townsend Farms Organic Anti-Oxidant Blend” frozen berry and pomegranate mix. [![](http://www.hepatitisblog.com/files/2013/06/Screen-Shot-2013-06-13-at-7.57.13-PM-300x180.png "Screen Shot 2013-06-13 at 7.57.13 PM")](http://www.hepatitisblog.com/files/2013/06/Screen-Shot-2013-06-13-at-7.57.13-PM.png) All those who reported eating this product purchased it from Costco markets; however, the product was also sold at Harris Teeter stores. No cases have been identified that bought the product at Harris Teeter at this time. Investigation by state and local health departments, FDA, and CDC is ongoing. Costco notified its members who purchased this product since late February 2013, and has removed the “Townsend Farms Organic Antioxidant Blend” frozen berry and pomegranate mix from its shelves. FDA has begun an inspection of the processing facilities of Townsend Farms of Fairview, Oregon. The FDA is also finalizing a protocol to test berries for the Hepatitis A virus (HAV), and will be testing samples related to the outbreak, including the frozen blend for the presence of HAV. [![](http://www.hepatitisblog.com/files/2013/06/Screen-Shot-2013-06-13-at-7.52.53-PM-300x190.png "Screen Shot 2013-06-13 at 7.52.53 PM")](http://www.hepatitisblog.com/files/2013/06/Screen-Shot-2013-06-13-at-7.52.53-PM.png) On June 3, 2013, Townsend Farms, Inc. of Fairview, Oregon voluntarily recalled certain lots of its frozen Organic Antioxidant Blend because it has the potential to be contaminated with hepatitis A virus. Preliminary laboratory studies of specimens from five states suggest the outbreak strain of hepatitis A virus (HAV) is genotype 1B. This strain is rarely seen in the Americas but circulates in the North Africa and Middle East regions. This genotype was identified in a 2013 outbreak in Europe linked to frozen berries and another 2012 outbreak in British Columbia related to a frozen berry blend with pomegranate seeds from Egypt. However, there is no evidence at this time that these outbreaks are related to the current U.S. outbreak. According to the label, the “Townsend Farms Organic Antioxidant Blend” frozen berry and pomegranate mix associated with illness contained products originating from the U.S., Argentina, Chile, and Turkey. Hepatitis A is a human disease and usually occurs when an infected food handler prepares food without appropriate hand hygiene. However, food contaminated with HAV, as is suspected in this outbreak, can cause outbreaks of disease among persons who eat or handle food. [![](http://www.hepatitisblog.com/files/2013/06/rsz_ap13060403351_620x350-300x169.jpg "rsz_ap13060403351_620x350")](http://www.hepatitisblog.com/files/2013/06/rsz_ap13060403351_620x350.jpg) **Hepatitis A:** [Marler Clark, The Food Safety Law Firm](http://www.marlerclark.com), is the nation’s leading law firm representing victims of Hepatitis A outbreaks. The [Hepatitis A lawyers of Marler Clark](http://www.marlerclark.com/practice_areas/view/hepatitis-a-outbreak-litigation) have represented thousands of victims of Hepatitis A and other foodborne illness outbreaks and have recovered over $600 million for clients. Marler Clark is the only law firm in the nation with a practice focused exclusively on foodborne illness litigation. Our Hepatitis A lawyers have litigated Hepatitis A cases stemming from outbreaks traced to a variety of sources, such as green onions, lettuce and restaurant food. The law firm has brought Hepatitis A lawsuits against such companies as Subway, McDonald’s, Chipotle, Quiznos, Chi-Chi’s and Carl’s Jr. If you or a family member became ill with a [Hepatitis A](http://www.about-hepatitis.com) infection after consuming food and you’re interested in pursuing a legal claim, contact the Marler Clark Hepatitis A attorneys for a free case evaluation. ### Other Hepatitis A Lawsuits [La Serranita Concha Negra Frozen Clam Hepatitis A Outbreak Lawsuits](https://marlerclark.com/la-serranita-concha-negra-frozen-clam-hepatitis-a-outbreak-lawsuits) [Washington and California Hepatitis A Outbreak linked to Imported Strawberries](https://marlerclark.com/washington-hepatitis-a-outbreak-linked-to-imported-strawberries) [Hepatitis A outbreak - Strawberries sicken 27 in Canada and United States](https://marlerclark.com/hepatitis-a-outbreak-strawberries-sicken-27-in-canada-and-united-states) [Gino's Ristorante & Pizzeria linked to Hepatitis A 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The team at Marler Clark is here to answer all your questions. Find out if you’re eligible for a lawsuit, what questions to ask your doctor, and more. [ Get a free consultation ](https://marlerclark.com/contact) ##### Related Resources ###### [Hepatitis A Food Poisoning](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/hepatitis-a/about-hepatitis) An Introduction to Hepatitis A Viral hepatitis is a major global public health problem affecting hundreds of millions of people and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Five biologically... ###### [The Incidence of Hepatitis A Infection](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/hepatitis-a/how-common-is-hepatitis-a-infection) How common is Hepatitis A infection? 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