Honolulu woman who contracted hepatitis A from tainted scallops dies
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
The Department of Health, on Aug. 18, showed a box of the Sea Port Bay Scallops that tested positive for the hepatitis A virus.
A 68-year-old Honolulu woman who contracted hepatitis A after eating tainted scallop sushi has died, after being in and out of the hospital since June, her attorney said today.
“I think the cause of her death is hepatitis A illness that destabilized her health that eventually led to her death, but she did not die of acute hepatitis liver failure,” Seattle attorney Bill Marler, told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser.
“It was a tragedy for the family and it’s something that shouldn’t happen. She had no acute underlying conditions that would cause her death.”
She ate at Genki Sushi in late April and early May and fell ill in June, Marler said. At one point, the woman was on a liver transplant list, but she was not on it when she died, he said.
The woman was a client of Marler and Honolulu attorney Michael F. Connor but no lawsuit has been filed in her case.
A spokesman for the Hawaii Department of Health acknowledged the case but said he could not comment on specifics because of patient privacy and the fact that the hepatitis A investigation is still ongoing.
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“We are aware of the death of somebody who was previously reported as being infected with hepatitis A,” said Jonathan Hilts, information specialist at the department’s Disease Outbreak Control Division. “This death was reported to us by Queen’s earlier this week. But beyond that we can’t say much.”
The Health Department has reported that 291 people contracted hepatitis A and 73 of them required hospitalization in the outbreak, which was traced to raw scallops served at Genki Sushi restaurants on Oahu and Kauai. No new cases were reported in the last week.
17 responses to “Honolulu woman who contracted hepatitis A from tainted scallops dies”
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Some defense lawyer is thinking “pre-existing health problems”.
A lot will ride on the coroner’s cause of death on this one.
My deepest ALOHA to her ohana.
Preventive measures is to be vaccinated the hepatitis A vaccine ! We learned the cost per shot is five hundred dollars. The requirement is two shots within a period of time! Believe the cost is not covered by any of the medical insurances.
Most people can obtain the vaccinations for “free” in some sense of the word. A lot of money isn’t needed, nor is any health insurance. Being without means in this country does not mean unprotected.
Insurance covered full charge for my adult children, who are under different plans. Insurance coverage also paid for the shot for many of my friends. I had to pay the full rate because of a deductible in my coverage. It was $88. How can a doctor/pharmacist be charging $500 per shot? That seems extreme.
Sounds like someone was feeding you a line of pure shibai at $500 for a Hep A vaccine when Costco gives it for $71. Only one shot required.
http://www.costco.com/Pharmacy/adult-immunization-program.html
Please stop with the lies. Many insurance cover the cost of vaccination (Kaiser for is free) and costs with no insurance is less than $100. Your lies probably kept people from being vaccinated – shame on you.
Thanks to all of you for your experience ! I will check this out again! To sailfish1, who is unbelievable unkind with your false accusation I’m glad the rest of the posters aren’t as mean to share their positive experience .
Wizard…. “unkind”? “false accusation”? There is nothing false about what I said. What you said is totally false – you should find out the facts before you start spreading lies.
Are you referring to a combined Hepatitis A/B vaccination for uninsured patients, which depending on the location where you get it from and including consultation and administration fees can sometimes run in the hundreds of dollars, in some cases even exceeding $500.
Give details of where did you go, when you went that they said the shot would cost you $500 and what is your insurance carrier. Mine was two shots but did not nearly cost that much
Condolences to her ohana.
Employees of Genki Sushi not impacted by tainted scallops. Employees not allowed to taste or eat while working probably saved their as-es? Good policy or what, employees can eat your profits. Too bad someone had to die! Condolences to family.
That is BAD that employees do not eat food served at their own restaurant. All the time you see Chinese restaurant employees when it is slow sit at a table and get served food from the kitchen. You would also it is good business for employees to be provided food either free or at a good discount as then the employees do not have to waste time leaving the premises to eat lunch or go on food break. In all seriousness they should change the requirements to obtain a green health card where the inspector will order something unannounced off the menu, it is served, even in sample portions and the restaurant owner or manager must eat that food in front of the health inspector. This is most important where a restaurant serve raw food like a sushi place. After this Hep A outbreak, it is time restaurant owners and managers put skin in the game and must eat the food they serve. Garans that these restaurant owners, managers and employees will all make a better effort to serve food that is safe to eat by the public.
Employees probably were not provided the raw scallops because it is a high priced item compared to chicken and pork.
My condolence to her family.