At least 24 Dutch infected with hepatitis A from Albert Heijn berries: RIVM

At least 24 people in the Netherlands have likely been infected with Hepatitis A because they ate blueberries from the Albert Heijn. Eight people were taken to hospital as a result. This was reported by the National Institute for Public Health and Environment (RIVM) in their latest update regarding the matter.

The people in question were infected with the illness between November and February. Ages ranged from 16 to 77 years old with 13 of the infected being men and 11 being women.

According to the RIVM, 19 of them ate the infected blueberries. One person may have contracted the Hepatitis-A virus from somebody else and for one other case it is unknown how the person picked up the virus. The virus was detected in the laboratory in two packages from a patient.

It was reported in January that freezer bags containing a kilo of blueberries of Albert Heijn’s store brand were infected with Hepatitis A. Albert Heijn then took the bags out of the stores and called on customers to return the products. The products are currently back in the stores, but they are now manufactured in a different country.

The RIVM does not expect any more infections to come as a result of the blueberries because it usually takes around 28 to 50 days before people feel the symptoms of the virus. Reports of people being ill in the past could still be possible.