Customers of Evo’s Coffee Lounge may have been exposed to hepatitis A: health officials
Patrons of the Ashland, Oregon coffeehouse, Evo’s Coffee Lounge may have been exposed to hepatitis A after it announced that it’s “Radically Free smoothie” was being prepared with Townsend Farms Organic Antioxidant Blend, the berry mix linked to the multistate hepatitis A outbreak being investigated, according to a KOBI TV news report June 15.
Oregon health officials say if you consumed a “Radically Free smoothie” from Evo’s Coffee Lounge between May 17 and June 12, you may have been exposed.
The Jackson County Health Department will begin vaccinating customers of the coffeehouse starting Monday.
To date, there has not been a reported case from Oregon linked to the Townsend Farms berry mix. The outbreak has affected 99 people from eight western states as of June 13, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The eight states recording hepatitis A cases include Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Washington.
Fairview, Oregon food company, Townsend Farms, Inc., announced a voluntary recall of certain lots of its frozen Organic Antioxidant Blend, out of an abundance of caution, because it has the potential to be contaminated with Hepatitis A virus, according to a company news release June 4.
The product has since been removed from the store shelves of Costco markets and Harris Teeter stores. No cases have been identified that bought the product at Harris Teeter at this time.
According to the CDC, hepatitis A is a human disease and usually occurs when an infected food handler prepares food without appropriate hand hygiene. However, food contaminated with HAV, as is suspected in this outbreak, can cause outbreaks of disease among persons who eat or handle food.
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