Hepatitis A discovered in imported frozen ahi

Imported frozen cubes of raw tuna distributed to about a dozen stores and restaurants on Oahu were recalled and embargoed after they tested positive for hepatitis A, the state Department of Health said Tuesday.

The product, imported from Indonesia and distributed by Tropic Fish Hawaii LLC, was used to prepare poke sold between Thursday and Monday at Times Supermarkets in Aiea, Kailua, Kaneohe, Kunia, Liliha, Mililani, Waipahu and at Shima’s Supermarket in Waimanalo.

The frozen fish was also distributed to GP Hawaiian Food Catering, Maili Sunset Bar &Grill (aka Da Crawfish &Crab Shack), Aloha Sushi at 3131 N. Nimitz Highway and the ABC store at 205 Lewers St. in Waikiki.

Health officials said no one has reported coming down with the disease yet, because symptoms don’t generally show for at least a couple of weeks and up to six weeks.

But anyone who thinks they consumed the product and is not vaccinated for hepatitis A should consult their doctor about getting inoculated, they said.

Times Supermarkets officials said that following last year’s hepatitis A outbreak, the store required testing of its seafood products by suppliers before delivery. But Tropic Fish Hawaii apparently delivered the frozen fish before the test results were in.

“Our normal procedure is to receive the test results prior to distribution, but unfortunately that did not happen with this particular shipment,” Tropical Fish Hawaii President Shawn Tanoue said in a press release.

“We have corrected our procedures to ensure this will not happen again,” Tanoue added. “I want to personally apologize to our customers and the public. We are a local company and pride ourselves in our work and in providing the highest-quality products.”

After being notified with the test results, Times Supermarkets closed the seafood department of each store that may have received the contaminated fish, and cleaned and sanitized the facilities. The Department of Health has already cleared the departments to be reopened.

Peter Oshiro, the department’s Food Safety Program chief, said all of the contaminated product was traced, collected and is being held by the distributor for possible further testing.

“Fortunately, in this case, Tropic Fish Hawaii kept excellent records and has been contacting all retailers and pulling the product quickly,” Oshiro said in a news release.

The incident follows last year’s hepatitis A outbreak, which saw 291 people come down with the contagious liver disease. Seventy-three people were hospitalized, and at least one eventually died of complications that may have been related to the illness.

In that outbreak, state health officials first alerted the public to a cluster of cases on July 1. A month and a half later, they shut down Genki Sushi restaurants on Oahu and Kauai for one month after determining that the source of the outbreak was raw scallops imported from the Philippines.

Symptoms of hepatitis A infection usually appear from two to six weeks after exposure and include fever, fatigue, loss of appetite, abdominal discomfort, dark urine, diarrhea and yellow skin and eyes. Food service employees or anyone else showing symptoms of hepatitis A should stay home and contact their doctor, officials said.

Officials said vaccination provides the best protection, but frequent hand- washing with soap and water after using the bathroom, changing a diaper and before preparing food can help prevent the spread of hepatitis A.

Cooking food thoroughly can also help to prevent infection, officials said.

Times Supermarket officials said that those who bought poke from any of the stores listed from Friday through Monday are urged to discard the product and clean the area where it was stored with a chlorine bleach solution of one tablespoon of bleach to one gallon of cool water.

Customers who bring back a receipt will receive a refund for their purchase, they said.

“The health and well being of our customers are our primary concern,” Chris Borden, senior director of marketing and merchandising at Times Supermarkets, said in a statement.

Health officials also said they’d like to remind those who received their first dose of hepatitis A vaccination during the last outbreak to get their second dose to ensure long-term immunity.