Hepatitis A case linked to frozen berries

For privacy reasons, Dr. Robert Levin can’t reveal much, but the Ventura County health officer said a man who made a smoothie with frozen berries linked to a nationwide outbreak is sick.

Costco pulled the Townsend Farms Organic Antioxidant Blend off store shelves last week.

The store had been selling them since February.

Dr. Levin believes about 400 packages were sold to Ventura County residents, and therefore more cases could be reported.

Doctors are required to report the virus that makes people sick, tired and nauseous.

If someone finds the berries in their freezer they should discard them.

But doctors said they should be safe if you cook or bake them.

Mark Delgado, the owner of I Would Rather Be Baking, said he can’t find enough frozen berries for his Camarillo bakery. He said he has been shopping everywhere and blames the health scare.

The hepatitis A patient is recovering at home.

Doctors said there is no medicine to cure it. In most cases patients will start feeling better in a couple of few weeks.

Levin hopes the outbreak will serve as a reminder to everyone to wash their hands

Contamination can usually be traced back to food handlers who fail to wash their hands properly after going to the bathroom.