Please see clarification regarding another company with the same name.

A food handler has tested positive for hepatitis A, spurring a public alert for anyone who bought fresh fruits or vegetables from a specific Brother’s Produce location.

The New Jersey Department of Health is working with the Paterson Department of Health to notify residents about the situation involving a worker at Brother’s Produce at 327 E Railway Ave, Paterson, NJ 07503.

The employee worked while they were potentially infectious, between Sept. 30 and Oct. 5.

The Department is recommending that any produce purchased at the implicated Brother’s Produce location between Sept. 30 and Oct. 5 be discarded.

Individuals who may have eaten produce from Brother’s Produce between Sept. 30 and Oct. 5, and who were not previously vaccinated against hepatitis A, can receive post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP). The treatment consists of hepatitis A vaccine and/or immune globulin, which can further reduce the risk of acquiring hepatitis A. To be effective, PEP must be received as soon as possible, but no later than two weeks after eating contaminated food. Health care providers and public health departments can administer the PEP.

Editor’s note: Brothers Produce based in Texas is not affiliated with the company of the same name that is the subject of this article.

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