Costo Berries Scare Prompts Riverside County Health Officials To Open Shot Clinics

Riverside County health officials said today that their 10 clinics will start taking appointments  Monday for persons who ate frozen berries from Costco that might be cause hepatitis A.

Townsend Farms Organic Antioxidant Blend frozen berries were sold at Costco stores in California, and have been linked to at least 30 cases of hepatitis A nationwide. One case was reported in Riverside County, two in San Bernardino County, and one each in Los Angeles, Orange, San Diego and Humboldt counties. Three of these individuals have been hospitalized. No deaths have been reported.

A second possible case in Los Angeles County is under investigation, officials there said.

Costco has removed the product from its stores and was notifying customers who bought the berries to seek medical attention. Health officials recommend that individuals who ate this product to receive an IG shot or hepatitis A vaccination to prevent or reduce illness. IG is a shot of concentrated antibodies made from donated blood, providing temporary protection.

The hepatitis A vaccine helps the body develops its own antibodies, providing longer-lasting protection. Shots must be received within 14 days of exposure in order to reduce or prevent illness.

Riverside County residents should call (800) 720-9553 to see which of the 10 clinics in Riverside County is nearest to them, Barbara Cole, director for disease control for the county's department of public health, told City News Service.

Special clinics in Los Angeles County have operated today and are scheduled to offer protection against the illness Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. But there were no such services available in Riverside County, Cole said. "We don't have any special clinics for the weekends," she said. --City News Service