Three people in Queensland have tested positive to hepatitis A after eating frozen berries linked to a contamination scare.
The news comes after three people in Victoria and two in NSW were diagnosed with hepatitis A after eating Nanna’s frozen mixed berries.
Queensland Health confirmed on Monday the three Queenslanders who had tested positive to the virus had also eaten Nanna’s frozen mixed berries.
The outbreak has led to a national recall of 1kg packs of Nanna’s Frozen Mixed Berries and 300g and 500g packs of Creative Gourmet Mixed Berries.
One of the infected is from Cairns, while the other two are from southeast Queensland.
Senior director of Queensland Health’s communicable diseases unit, Dr Sonya Bennett says there is a fourth Queenslander who has tested positive to Hepatitis A but it’s unclear if the person consumed frozen berries.
“We do expect to see more cases and I think that will happen throughout the country,” she said.
“Most of our cases in Queensland became ill in late January and early February.”
The virus has a long incubation period of up to 50 days.
Dr Bennett said people who have eaten the product should look out for symptoms such as fever, chills, tiredness, abdominal pain and nausea and jaundice (yellow skin and eyes).
However, she said people should wait for symptoms before being tested.
It’s unlikely the virus will cause death, however people with chronic liver disease were the most at risk, she added.
AAP