Cases double in Dutch Hepatitis A outbreak

Two dozen people were sickened in the Netherlands after eating blueberries contaminated with hepatitis A.

The National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) said it received 24 reports of people who very likely contracted hepatitis A from frozen blueberries. This is double the number of cases since the outbreak was announced.

People became ill between November 2024 and February 2025. Patients are 13 men and 11 women, aged between 16 and 77. Eight of them were admitted to hospitals.

A total of 19 people had eaten the frozen blueberries from retailer Albert Heijn. This was the likely cause for three people. One case possibly got the disease from another patient and for another person it is unknown how they got sick.

Albert Heijn previously issued a warning about blueberries that may be contaminated with hepatitis A. It concerned frozen blueberries 1-kilogram with expiration dates up to April 14, 2026. The affected berries came from a supplier in Poland. They were sold from October 2024 to Jan. 13, 2025. The batch with date April 14, 2026 included 20,260 bags.

In January, Albert Heijn said each batch is tested and previous analysis did not find hepatitis A. How the berries were contaminated was being investigated.

According to RIVM, in two packs of blueberries from one of the patients, the hepatitis A virus was detected in the laboratory. On Jan. 13, the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) and Albert Heijn called on people not to eat the blueberries.

It can take up to 50 days for people to get sick from the hepatitis A virus. RIVM said this period is now over so it does not expect to record any new infections.

Berries were also recalled in Belgium and four potentially related illnesses were reported.

About Hepatitis A
Hepatitis A is a viral infection of the liver. Symptoms include loss of appetite, nausea, fever, and stomach pains, dark urine, pale stools, and jaundice. Handwashing and good hygiene practices are important to prevent transmission.

The incubation period is 15 to 50 days, with an average of 28 days. The virus is spread by the fecal-oral route, usually by consuming contaminated food or water or through contaminated hands or objects. People are infectious from two weeks before symptom onset until one week after the onset of jaundice or dark urine. This means they may transmit the infection before knowing they are infected.

The illness is usually mild and lasts one to three weeks. Most people recover, but Hepatitis A can lead to hospitalization and severe illness, particularly in people with chronic liver disease. Young children who are infected usually have few or no symptoms but can still transmit infection to others. Officials also tell people not to go to work if they have symptoms consistent with Hepatitis A infection, mainly if they are food handlers, childcare workers, or healthcare employees.

(To sign up for a free subscription to Food Safety News, click here)