While the case count in the multistate hepatitis A outbreak linked to frozen pomegranate seeds has been leveling off over the past week, new information on illnesses continues to trickle into the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Today that included a report of one more hospitalization, one less case in New Mexico, and one more case in California. The number of people who’ve been hospitalized as a result of their infections now stands at 63. In total, 143 confirmed cases have been reported among people who ate an organic frozen berry mix containing pomegranate seeds from Turkey that are believed to be the source of the virus. Illness onset dates range from March 31 through June 24 of this year. Health officials say the outbreak appears to be ending, but cases could still crop up among people who might have had the berry product — distributed by Townsend Farms of Fairview, OR and sold at Costco stores in western states — in their freezer and not discarded it. “Newly discovered cases have tapered off quite a bit. However, we may see a few more cases come in because it is a frozen product,” said CDC spokesperson Darlene Foote in an emailed statement to Food Safety News. The potentially contaminated pomegranate seeds were also sold in two other products: at Harris Teeter stores in a berry mix also made by Townsend Farms and as “frozen pomegranate kernels” distributed by Scenic Fruit of Gresham, OR. Neither of these products have been linked to illnesses to date. For more information on the products recalled in connection with this outbreak, see the CDC’s outbreak page. The updated numbers of illnesses by state are as follows: Arizona (21), California (70), Colorado (28), Hawaii (8), New Mexico (5), Nevada (6), Utah (3), and Wisconsin (2). All patients were exposed to the virus in western states. The individuals who fell ill in Wisconsin ate the frozen berry product while in California.
