L.A. County holds clinics on hepatitis A linked to Costco berries

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health is holding clinics over the weekend for consumers who may have been exposed to hepatitis through frozen berries sold at Costco.

At least 30 cases of hepatitis A nationwide may be linked to Townsend Farms Organic Antioxidant Blend frozen berries, including seven confirmed illnesses in California by people who consumed the berries. One of those was in Los Angeles County, two in San Bernardino County and one each in Riverside, San Diego and Humboldt counties, health department officials said.

Another possible case in Los Angeles County is under investigation.

Costco has removed the product from stores.

Health officials recommended that people who may have been exposed to the virus within the last 14 days get an IG shot or hepatitis A vaccination to prevent or reduce illness. Close contacts and sexual partners of those infected with the virus may also be at risk.

The incubation period for the disease is two to seven weeks, health officials said. Symptoms include jaundice, fatigue, light-colored stools, fever, loss of appetite, abdominal cramps, vomiting and dark-colored urine.

The health department will offer preventive treatment at special clinics from 10 a.m to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at the following locations:

--Antelope Valley Health Center, 335 Avenue K-6, Lancaster;
--North Hollywood Health Center, 5300 Tujunga Ave., North Hollywood;
--Monrovia Health Center, 330 W. Maple Ave., Monrovia;
--Hollywood Wilshire Health Center, 5205 Melrose Ave., Hollywood;
--Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Public Health, 11833 S. Wilmington Ave., Willowbrook;
--Whittier Health Center, 7643 S. Painter Ave., Whittier;
--Curtis Tucker Health Center, 123 W. Manchester Blvd., Inglewood.

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