There are many different types of viruses, bacteria, or toxic chemicals that can lead to food poisoning outbreaks. Hepatitis A is one of the less common foodborne illnesses, but it still affects tens of thousands of people each year in the United States. This disease can be very dangerous, and those who have been affected will want to consult with an attorney to determine their options for recovering financial compensation from the person or establishment that was responsible.

What Makes Hepatitis A Different From Other Foodborne Illnesses?

Most foodborne illnesses affect the gastrointestinal system, and people will often begin experiencing symptoms within a few hours after eating contaminated foods. However, Hepatitis A attacks the liver, and symptoms will take longer to appear. Usually, a person will begin experiencing symptoms between 15 and 50 days after the contamination occurred. This can sometimes make it difficult to identify the source of the contamination.

Symptoms of Hepatitis A include abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and fatigue, which may be similar to the symptoms of other types of foodborne illnesses. However, victims may also experience jaundice in which they have a yellow tint to their skin and eyes, dark-colored urine, and pale-colored stools. This indicates that a person’s liver has been affected. Severe infections can cause serious damage to the liver, which could be fatal.

If you follow the news, you will occasionally see reports about a hepatitis A outbreak at a restaurant. Hepatitis A is a highly contagious virus that humans can spread when not using proper hygiene during food preparation. Large outbreaks are usually traced to restaurants because one infected person preparing food can transmit the virus to numerous customers. Hepatitis A is rarely life-threatening unless you are already in poor health. However, you may still deserve compensation from a restaurant that exposed you to hepatitis A to pay for your medical expenses and other losses.

What Is Hepatitis A?

Hepatitis A is one form of the hepatitis virus, causing liver inflammation that can last for weeks or months. It is a fecal-oral disease, meaning that people are infected when the virus enters their mouth and can spread the virus through their feces. Symptoms can take two to seven weeks to appear and may include fever, fatigue, abdominal pain, nausea, diarrhea, joint pain, and jaundice. People are at the greatest risk of contracting hepatitis A if they:

• Use drugs;
• Have unprotected sex;
• Travel to countries where hepatitis A is common; or
• Live in a generally unsanitary environment.

Though you may not directly put yourself at risk of infection, you have no control over whether a person preparing your food is infected. A carrier can spread the virus while not showing any symptoms.

Although certain types of food are linked with food poisoning outbreaks more frequently than others, nearly any type of food or consumable product can carry harmful bacteria that can cause victims to fall ill. One recent report from Food Safety News cites frozen strawberries as the culprit for the recent outbreak of Hepatitis A. As of September 8th, 2016, 89 people in seven states have suffered from symptoms of Hepatitis A after consuming smoothies made with frozen strawberries imported from Egypt. Reports came from West Virginia, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Wisconsin, Maryland, and Virginia.

In most of these cases, the victim consumed a smoothie made by a restaurant or retailer, rather than purchasing the strawberries and making the smoothie at home. Multiple chains, including Tropical Smoothie Cafe, were cited as the sources of the contaminated smoothies.

Symptoms of Hepatitis A

A victim can fall ill from eating nearly any type of food. Generally, meats and dairy products are the culprit, especially when they have not been stored or prepared correctly. But vegetables, fruits, and grains can also harbor dangerous bacteria that can cause victims to suffer from various types of food poisoning.

One example is the recent outbreak of Hepatitis A in Canada. At least 13 people have developed Hepatitis A after consuming frozen bags of Nature's Touch Organic Berry Cherry blend from Costco stores. In response, Costco recalled the product from its stores in Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, Labrador, New Brunswick, Ontario, and Quebec. Five had to be hospitalized because of the illness.

Symptoms of Hepatitis A