Image copyright EPA Image caption Australian authorities have linked 24 hepatitis A cases to a frozen pomegranate product

An Australian woman has died after contracting hepatitis A from a packet of frozen pomegranate.

The 64-year-old died in South Australia last week in a "rare and tragic" case, state health authorities said.

Local officials issued a warning about the Australian-owned Creative Gourmet product in April. It has been linked to 24 cases of hepatitis A nationally.

Australians have been urged to check their freezers and discard packets of the frozen fruit.

About 2,000 packets of the Egyptian-grown pomegranate arils were sold. Fresh pomegranate and locally grown products were not affected, authorities said.

"The woman's death is the only death linked to this recalled product nationally to date," South Australia chief medical officer Prof Paddy Phillips said.

Most other people affected had made a full recovery and no further cases were expected, he said.

Hepatitis A, which attacks the liver, is usually spread through faecal matter, transmitted through sex or by touching contaminated food or objects.

It typically takes between 15 and 50 days to develop symptoms, which include nausea, fever and yellowing of the skin, local health authorities said.

Entyce Food Ingredients has said the contamination was linked to a "a relatively small batch" of its product.

Last year, the company was also forced to pull a selection of its frozen mixed berries products following another hepatitis A outbreak.

Earlier this year, seven Australians died after eating melon contaminated with listeria bacteria.</s>CANBERA (dpa-AFX) - A women in Southern Australia died out of a rare Hepatitis A infection from frozen pomegranate arils. The health authorities have ordered to recall all frozen pomegranate arils sold by Creative Gourmet. There were 24 cases of hepatitis A infection from the frozen pomegranate in different parts of Australia. 



Chief Medical Officer of Southern Australia said, 'This is a rare and tragic case...'



It is identified that 2000 packets of frozen pomegranate arils were sold in the market. All of them were grown in Egypt. Fresh pomegranate were found to be safe. 



Hepatitis A virus usually affects liver and causes inflammation. It is considered as a short term disease with an incubation period of 15-50 days, but acute in nature. The virus is usually transmitted through food and water.



Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX</s>(CNN) — A 64-year-old woman in Australia died after contracting hepatitis A linked to frozen pomegranate seeds, according to local health officials.

Hepatitis A is a viral infection of the liver that is commonly spread when people eat or drink something contaminated with fecal matter. The infection is usually mild and resolves within a few weeks but can be more serious, particularly in older adults or those with chronic liver disease, according to the Mayo Clinic.

“This is a rare and tragic case and I offer my sincere condolences to the woman’s family,” South Australia Chief Medical Officer Paddy Phillips said in a news release.

“The majority of people infected with hepatitis A recover fully and the woman’s death is the only death linked to this recalled product nationally to date,” he added.

The death comes two months after an initial recall of 180-gram bags of Creative Gourmet frozen pomegranate seeds by health officials in Australia. A reminder was issued May 8, warning people that the product was linked to an outbreak of hepatitis A in New South Wales.

There have been at least 24 cases of hepatitis A in Australia linked to the pomegranate seeds, according to the statement.

“While we expect most people would have disposed of the recalled product, we urge everyone to double-check freezers and remove any affected products,” Phillips said.

Officials do not expect to see more cases linked to the pomegranate seeds, according to Phillips.

“The incubation period for hepatitis A is generally 15-50 days, so we don’t anticipate further cases because the product was recalled two months ago,” he said.

Creative Gourmet is an Australia-based company that distributes frozen fruits to restaurants and supermarkets across Australia. The implicated seeds come from pomegranates grown in Egypt, according to the company’s website.

Symptoms of hepatitis A include nausea, vomiting, fever, yellowing of the skin, dark urine and pale stool. Signs of infection can take 15 to 50 days to develop, according to the Mayo Clinic.

In Australia, there are normally 300 to 500 cases of hepatitis A reported every year. Less than 1% typically result in death, according to Australia’s Department of Health.

There is no specific treatment for hepatitis A, as the illness normally resolves on its own. Vaccinations are available in some countries, including Australia, and are recommended for people traveling to endemic areas, child day care and preschool personnel, health care workers, sewage workers, injection drug users and patients with chronic liver disease, according to the organization Hepatitis Australia.

People who develop symptoms after eating Creative Gourmet frozen pomegranate seeds should contact their doctor as soon as possible, according to the statement.</s>A woman in Australia has died after contracting hepatitis A from frozen pomegranate.

Health officials have urged people to dispose of recalled packets of the Creative Gourmet fruit product following the 64-year-old's death.

Professor Paddy Phillips, South Australia Health's chief medical officer, said the case had been referred to the coroner.

"This is a rare and tragic case and I offer my sincere condolences to the woman's family," he said.

Entyce Food Ingredients, the owner of Creative Gourmet, issued an urgent recall of 180g packets of frozen pomegranate arils in April after an outbreak of hepatitis A in New South Wales.

Twenty four cases of the virus have been linked to the product including two incidents in South Australia, officials said.

In a statement, Entyce Food Ingredients said it was "deeply saddened" by the woman's death.

The company told ABC News: "Entyce will work closely with health authorities and the SA Coroner to help determine the exact cause of the woman's death and if there was any direct link with the consumption of frozen pomegranate arils and hepatitis A."

Symptoms of hepatitis A include nausea, vomiting, fever and yellowing of the skin and can take up to 50 days to develop.

According to the NHS, the virus can be life-threatening in rare cases if it causes the liver to stop working properly.

Professor Phillips said officials were not expecting further cases linked to the frozen pomegranate product because it was recalled two months ago.

"The majority of people infected with hepatitis A recover fully and the woman's death is the only death linked to this recalled product nationally to date," he said.

"While we expect most people would have disposed of the recalled product, we urge everyone to double-check freezers and remove any affected products."</s>An Australian woman died from hepatitis A after eating a contaminated frozen pomegranate.

An Australian woman who ate a recalled frozen pomegranate product died of hepatitis A, health authorities announced Tuesday.

The 64-year-old woman from southern Australia ate pomegranate seeds by Creative Gourmet, a product under a precautionary recall following a hepatitis A outbreak in New South Wales.

“This is a rare and tragic case and I offer my sincere condolences to the woman’s family,” Paddy Phillips, chief medical officer at South Australian Health, said in a statement. "The majority of people infected with hepatitis A recover fully and the woman’s death is the only death linked to this recalled product nationally to date."

Now that the incubation period for hepatitis A has passed, Phillips said, he does not anticipate any other cases related to this product. The product was originally recalled two months ago.

More: Hepatitis A is usually not a problem to recover from. But in Michigan, 27 people died since this outbreak began.

More: 5 kinds of hepatitis all attack one organ in the body

There have been 24 cases of hepatitis A linked to the recalled product in Australia.

In 2013, an Oregon company recalled a frozen berry mix including pomegranate seeds after the product was linked to at least 34 hepatitis A illnesses in five states.</s>A South Australian woman has died from hepatitis A after eating a frozen pomegranate product recalled from supermarket shelves last month.

South Australian Health is reminding anyone who bought Creative Gourmet frozen pomegranate from Coles to throw it in the bin after the tragic death of the 64-year-old woman.

The frozen pomegranate was recalled two months ago after NSW Health found a link between the fruit and a number of Hepatitis A cases.

SA Health reminded the community on May 8, warning its residents the infection can take anywhere from 15 to 50 days to develop.

In a statement, SA Health’s chief medical officer Paddy Phillips said he hoped there wouldn’t be any more people suffering the illness, considering the product was recalled two months ago.

“This is a rare and tragic case and I offer my sincere condolences to the woman’s family,” Professor Phillips said.

“The majority of people infected with hepatitis A recover fully and the woman’s death is the only death linked to this recalled product nationally to date.

“While we expect most people would have disposed of the recalled product, we urge everyone to double-check freezers and remove any affected products.”

There was a nationwide recall of the contaminated product on April 7 and Coles removed it from its freezers.

The imported product led to 24 people being diagnosed with hepatitis A, including two in South Australia.

Symptoms of hepatitis A range from mild to severe and include fever, loss of appetite, diarrhea, nausea, abdominal pain, dark-colored urine and jaundice (a yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes).

Older people generally suffer from stronger symptoms, which can last anywhere from one week to several months.

In April, Entyce Food Ingredients, the company that imported the Creative Gourmet packets, issued a statement saying the contamination was isolated.

“Consumers can be confident that the recalled product Creative Gourmet Frozen Pomegranate Arils 180g is an isolated one and no other Creative Gourmet products are affected,” it said.

“The recall affects less than one percent of the Creative Gourmet fruit sold annually in Australia.”

The company was also eager to point out the cases were yet to be directly linked to Entyce products and all products tested to date had been cleared. Coles issued an apology to those affected.

“Customers can return the product to Coles supermarkets for a full refund,” a spokesman said in a statement.

“Any consumers concerned about their health should seek medical advice.”</s>A woman in Australia has died after contracting hepatitis A from frozen pomegranate.

The 64-year-old's death on Wednesday follows 24 other cases linked to the product across Australia.

The Creative Gourmet 180g frozen pomegranate arils (seeds) were first recalled in April after a hepatitis A outbreak in New South Wales.

Health chief medical officer and chief public health officer for south Australia, Professor Paddy Phillips said it was "a rare and tragic case".

He said some 2,000 packets of the fruit - grown in Egypt - were sold.</s>A woman has died of hepatitis A due to an outbreak which led to a nationwide recall of a frozen fruit product.

The 64-year-old South Australian woman contracted hepatitis A from frozen pomegranate, and died in hospital last Wednesday, ABC News reported.

Packs of Creative Gourmet 180g frozen pomegranate, sold at Coles, were recalled in April after a hepatitis A outbreak in New South Wales.

SA Health chief public health officer Professor Paddy Phillips said the woman's death was a 'rare and tragic case'.

'The majority of people infected with hepatitis A recover fully and the woman's death is the only death linked to this recalled product nationally to date.

'The incubation period for hepatitis A is generally 15-50 days, so we don't anticipate further cases because the product was recalled two months ago.

'While we expect most people would have disposed of the recalled product, we urge everyone to double-check freezers and remove any affected products.'

The woman's death has been referred to the coroner.

About 2000 packets of the pomegranate, which was grown in Egypt, have been sold.

Of those 226 packets have been returned, but health authorities believe many more were thrown away.

There have been 24 cases of hepatitis A cases linked to the recalled pomegranate across Australia.</s>A woman in Australia has died after contracting hepatitis A from frozen pomegranate.

The 64-year-old's death on Wednesday follows 24 other cases linked to the product across Australia.

The Creative Gourmet 180g frozen pomegranate arils (seeds) were first recalled in April after a hepatitis A outbreak in New South Wales.

Health chief medical officer and chief public health officer for south Australia, Professor Paddy Phillips said it was "a rare and tragic case".

He said some 2,000 packets of the fruit - grown in Egypt - were sold.

Professor Philips said: "The majority of people infected with hepatitis A recover fully and the woman's death is the only death linked to this recalled product nationally to date.

"The incubation period for hepatitis A is generally 15-50 days, so we don't anticipate further cases because the product was recalled two months ago.

"While we expect most people would have disposed of the recalled product, we urge everyone to double-check freezers and remove any affected products."

Download: The STV News app is Scotland's favourite and is available for iPhone from the App store and for Android from Google Play. Download it today and continue to enjoy STV News wherever you are.</s>Seven cases of hepatitis A have been traced back to imported frozen pomegranate products from Coles supermarkets. According to NSW Health, the impacted patients are based in Sydney, Wollongong and the Central Coast. Authorities are urging anyone who has bought the frozen fruit from Coles not to eat it.

A SURREY Downs woman who died after contracting hepatitis A linked to the national recall of pomegranate seeds has been remembered as a “kind and caring” person with a “big heart”.

Lesley Rolton, 64, was one of two South Australians to contract the illness after consuming the product — 180g Creative Gourmet frozen pomegranate arils — that was recalled in April.

Her family declined to comment but friend Jenny Boffa paid tribute to Ms Rolton.

“It’s hard to believe that someone so kind and caring can contract Hepatitis A, from eating inferior contaminated fruit, imported from overseas, where countries don’t have, or uphold our health standards,” Ms Boffa said.

“My dear friend tragically lost her life just trying to stay healthy. We are all told eat our fruit and vegetables. Well she did just that and paid the ultimate price, with her life.

“I don’t want her life and sacrifice to go unseen.

“She had the biggest heart and I pray that her sacrifice will not be in vain.

“She is such a loss and will be missed by many. But even in her passing, she opens that mighty heart to humanity, she would not want anyone else to suffer needlessly.

“This is her parting gesture. Thank you for being my friend. My deepest respect and sympathy to her family.”

There have been 24 cases of hepatitis A nationally linked to the recalled product.

A 33-year-old man also contracted hepatitis from the tainted pomegranates though he recovered quickly.

SA Health has referred Ms Rolton’s death to the Coroner.

Symptoms of hepatitis A include nausea, vomiting, fever, yellowing of the skin, dark urine and pale stools, and the infection can take from 15 to 50 days to develop.
A woman in Australia is reported dead from hepatitis after consuming frozen pomegranate. Health authorities have stated that 24 such cases were related to products by Entyce Food Ingredients.