Scallops Recalled after Hundreds Contract Hepatitis A From Oysters

Scallops sold to restaurants in California, Hawaii, and Nevada have been voluntarily recalled by Sea Port Products Corp after at least 206 people became sick with hepatitis A.

The US Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are assisting the Hawaii Department of Health in an ongoing investigation. The cases were first reported by the state of Hawaii on August 17.

Of those who contracted hepatitis A, 51 have been hospitalized. All of the cases involve adults, and they are all linked to the handling of raw scallops.

The scallops were not for sale in stores, but they were supplied to restaurants and other commercial groups. The FDA is working with Sea Port Products Corp to make sure the products are pulled off shelves, according to the FDA website.

The scallops under scrutiny were produced on November 23 and 24, 2015.

The federal agencies and the Hawaiian Department of Health told Sea Port Products on August 17 that tests had confirmed their scallops were positive for hepatitis A, and that they were the source of the outbreak.

The FDA suggests customers who would like to order scallops in the states where the recall is in effect should ask the restaurant where the scallops came from.

The FDA has an information line that will answer any question about food safety: 1-888-SAFEFOOD. It’s open Monday through Friday between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. ET

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Hepatitis A is a liver disease caused by the hepatitis A virus. The virus is primarily spread when an uninfected (and unvaccinated) person ingests food or water that is contaminated with the faeces of an infected person. The disease is closely associated with unsafe water or food, inadequate sanitation and poor personal hygiene.

Unlike hepatitis B and C, hepatitis A infection does not cause chronic liver disease and is rarely fatal, but it can cause debilitating symptoms and acute liver failure, which is often fatal.

The incubation period of hepatitis A is usually 14–28 days.

Symptoms of hepatitis A range from mild to severe, and can include fever, malaise, loss of appetite, diarrhoea, nausea, abdominal discomfort, dark-coloured urine and jaundice (a yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes).

Adults have signs and symptoms of illness more often than children. The severity of disease and fatal outcomes are higher in older age groups. Infected children under 6 years of age do not usually experience noticeable symptoms, and only 10% develop jaundice. Among older children and adults, infection usually causes more severe symptoms, with jaundice occurring in more than 70% of cases. Hepatitis A sometimes relapses, so the person who just recovered falls sick again with another acute episode. This is, however, followed by recovery.