Frozen tuna from Hawaii is being recalled by the FDA because it might be contaminated with hepatitis A.
The Hawaii Department of Health first found contamination on May 1 after random testing of a tuna shipment to the mainland, CNN reported, and a small initial recall was issued then. The company found more infected tuna in mid-May, and the FDA is collecting additional samples in an attempt to determine the severity of the outbreak.
The tuna was distributed to restaurants in Texas, Oklahoma, and California, CNN reported. Although shipments were also sent to New York, the New York State Health Department said it wasn’t sold to the public there.
No reports of illness tied to the tuna have been received by the FDA.
The tuna came from Hilo Fish Company and included 8-ounce tuna steaks expiring Oct. 1, 2018, and vacuum packed 15-pound frozen tuna cubes expiring April 1, 2019. The exact case codes are on the FDA website. The tuna came from Sustainable Seafood Company and Santa Cruz Seafood, Inc.
FDA officials advise unvaccinated consumers who might have eaten the tuna to have post-exposure treatment for hepatitis A.
Although the first positive test was May 1, the recall was not initiated until May 16 because of additional positive tests in Hilo Fish Company storage locations, according to the FDA.
Hepatitis A is a virus that causes a contagious liver disease that can last several weeks to several months. Close contact, food contamination, and sexual activity can spread the disease.
Symptoms of hepatitis A include fatigue, abdominal pain, jaundice, abnormal liver tests, dark urine, and pale stool. Symptoms may not appear for 15 to 50 days after exposure. Some people become ill with no apparent symptoms, the FDA reported.
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