The number of hepatitis A cases in Australia linked to Nanna’s Berry products has increased , according to a Victoria health alert Tuesday.

Image/CIA
Image/CIA

The updated case count is now 18.

Four products from Patties Foods have been recalled to date:

  • Nanna’s Fresh Frozen Mixed Berry 1kg packets regardless of dates and best-before dates.
  • Nanna’s Fresh Frozen Raspberries 1kg packets with best-before dates up to and including 15 September 2016,
  • Creative Gourmet Frozen Mixed Berries 300 gram with best-before dates up to and including 10 December 2017.
  • Creative Gourmet Frozen Mixed Berries 500 gram packets with best-before dates up to 6 October 2017.

The affected products were distributed mainly to Woolworths, Coles and IGA supermarkets.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Hepatitis A is a contagious liver disease that results from infection with the Hepatitis A virus. It can range in severity from a mild illness lasting a few weeks to a severe illness lasting several months.

Hepatitis A is usually spread when a person ingests fecal matter, even in microscopic amounts, from contact with objects, food, or drinks contaminated by feces or stool from an infected person.

Not everyone has symptoms. If symptoms develop, they usually appear 2 to 6 weeks after becoming infected and can include fever, fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, dark urine and jaundice.

There is no specific treatment once symptoms appear, but a vaccination can help lessen the effects of the disease if given within 14 days of exposure. For more infectious disease news and information, visit and “like” the Infectious Disease News Facebook page

The best way to control the spread of hepatitis A and many other illnesses is through proper hand washing, especially after using the restroom, changing diapers, and before eating or preparing food. Hand washing should include 20 seconds of vigorous soaping of all parts of the hands, especially between fingers and under fingernails.