Scallops recalled after hundreds of people contract hepatitis
Sea Port Products Corp is recalling a large batch of its scallops after at least 206 people became sick with hepatitis A, reported CNN.
According to a statement issued by the CDC, the scallops, produced between November 23 and 24, 2015, were supplied to restaurants and other commercial groups in Hawaii, Nevada and California.
On August 17, the federal agency and the Hawaiian Department of Health told Sea Port Products that their products had tested positive for hepatitis A and that they were the likely source of the outbreak.
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.
The disease is usually spread when a person ingests fecal matter — even in microscopic amounts — from contact with objects, food, or drinks contaminated by the feces of an infected person.
The FDA says they are working closely with the company to ensure all infected products are taken off shelves.
In the mean time, the CDC is urging anyone who thinks they may have become ill from eating raw scallops to contact their healthcare provider.
More on the symptoms of hepatitis A:
