Two dozen people were sick in the Netherlands after eating blueberries that are infected with hepatitis A.
The National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) said that it received 24 reports from people who most likely have sustained hepatitis A by frozen blueberries. This is double the number of cases since the outbreak has been announced.
People got sick between November 2024 and February 2025. Patients are 13 men and 11 women, between 16 and 77 years old. Eight of them were admitted to hospitals.
A total of 19 people had eaten the frozen blueberries from retailer Albert Heijn. This was the likely reason for three people. One case was the disease from another patient and for another person it is unknown how they got sick.
Albert Heijn has previously issued a warning for blueberries that can be infected with hepatitis A. It concerned frozen blueberries 1 kilogram with a expiration date until April 14, 2026. The affected berries came from a supplier in Poland. They were sold from October 2024 to January 13, 2025. The batch with date 14 April 2026 included 20,260 bags.
In January, Albert Heijn said that every batch was tested and previous analysis did not think that Hepatitis A. was investigated how the berries were infected.
According to RIVM, the hepatitis A virus was detected in two packages of blueberries from one of the patients in the laboratory. On January 13, Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) and Albert Heijn called on people not to eat the blueberries.
It can take up to 50 days before people get sick from the hepatitis A -virus. RIVM said that this period is now over, so it does not expect that the new infections will record.
Berries were also recalled in Belgium and four potentially related diseases were reported.
About Hepatitis A
Hepatitis A is a viral infection of the liver. Symptoms include loss of appetite, nausea, fever and stomach pain, dark urine, pale stools and jaundice. Hand wash and good hygiene practices are important to prevent transmission.
The incubation period is 15 to 50 days, with an average of 28 days. The virus is spread by the faecal route, usually by consuming contaminated food or water or by infected hands or objects. People are contagious from two weeks before the start of the symptom until a week after the start of jaundice or dark urine. This means that they can convey the infection before they know they are infected.
The disease is usually mild and lasts one to three weeks. Most people recover, but hepatitis A can lead to hospitalization and serious illness, especially in people with chronic liver disease. Young children who are infected usually have few or no symptoms, but can still pass on infection to others. Civil servants also tell people that they should not work if they have symptoms that are consistent with an infection with hepatitis A, especially if they are food processors, childcare workers or healthcare employees.
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