Poor Hygiene Amongst Chinese Workers Could Have Been Cause Of Hepatitis A Outbreak Through Nanna's Frozen Berries

Australia was faced with an issue of an outbreak of hepatitis A which has been linked to Nanna's frozen mixed berries. The outbreak has affected a total of nine people, of which two are from New South Wales, three from Victoria and four from Queensland.

According to ABC News, it was believed that the reason for the outbreak could be poor hygiene amongst Chinese workers. Another reason for the outbreak could be contaminated water supplies in China.

Dr Finn Romanes, senior medical advisor at the Department of Health and Human Services in Victoria, has given a confirmation that the outbreak was traced to China. He said that the risk that they have identified was that China, a country that had endemic hepatitis A, had been involved in the packaging of the berries that were sourced from China as well Chile.

He explained that there was strong evidence that there might have been contamination while the packaging process was taking place. He said that his explanation was valid as only after the packing process and after the packets were fully sealed, the berries were transported to Australia.

Initially, just the 1 kilogram packets of mixed berries were being nationally recalled. But on Feb 15, the recall was extended to the 300-grammes and 500-grammes packets of Creative Gourmet mixed berries. The reason for the recall of the two packets were because it was packaged in the same plant, along with the 1 kilogramme packets of Nanna's berries.

Hepatitis A is a viral disease that affects the liver. Various early symptoms that accompany the disease are fever, loss of appetite and nausea. The affected patient would also suffer from jaundice, which develops several days after the early symptom, causing yellowed eyes and skin. Other symptoms include pale stools, dark urine and diarrhoea.

On the webpage of the World Health Organisation, an agency of the United Nations that concentrates on public health, it was written that hepatitis A spreads when an unvaccinated or uninfected person ingests water or food that was contaminated with the excrement of an infected person. It also mentioned that hepatitis A is rarely fatal but could cause symptoms and acute liver failure.

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