Hawaii’s Hepatitis A outbreak continues to grow even after state health officials identified the source of the virus. The outbreak, now the state’s largest-ever Hepatitis A outbreak, has prompted a class action against the Genki Sushi chain of restaurants that could potentially include 10,000 or more plaintiffs – essentially anyone who dined at a Genki Sushi location in Oahu or Kauai during the past five months, lawyers involved in the case say. On Aug. 15, the Hawaii Department of Health determined that raw, frozen scallops imported from the Philippines were the source of the Hepatitis A virus that has sickened at least 228 people, including 58 who required hospitalization. Health officials found that Genki Sushi used the raw scallops in some of the sushi it served and subsequently ordered 11 of the restaurant chain’s locations to temporarily close. Lead plaintiff Bryan Cuelho of Waialua allegedly ate the contaminated scallops at a Genki Sushi location in Waikele, Oahu, on Aug. 6.

News of the outbreak prompted him to get a hepatitis A vaccination on Aug. 16. Health officials advised anyone who ate sushi at a Genki Sushi location in the past two weeks to receive a post-exposure hepatitis A vaccination or immune globulin shot, which are still effective against the virus in the incubation stage. It can take up to 50 days for symptoms of hepatitis A to manifest. Inside the body, the hepatitis A virus causes the liver to swell and prevents it from functioning properly. Symptoms include fatigue, nausea, abdominal pain, loss of appetite, and fever. Some people may also experience joint or muscle pain, diarrhea, vomiting, dark urine, itching, weight loss, or yellow skin and eyes. The virus is highly contagious and extremely hardy. It is able to survive freezing temperatures as well as the body’s highly acidic digestive tract. Hepatitis A can also survive outside of the body for months. “This is a class action lawsuit brought on behalf of all persons who were exposed, by consumption of adulterated food and drink, to the Hepatitis A virus, HAV, at the defendant Genki Sushi USA Inc.’s restaurants during the exposure period from April through August 2016,” the class action complaint states.

“The plaintiff and class-members were required for public health and personal safety reasons to obtain Hepatitis A vaccination or an IG shot — with some persons also getting an HAV blood test — because of their exposure at the defendant Genki Sushi USA Inc.’s restaurants.” Lawyers in the case also hope to raise awareness in the public and in the corporate world about the importance of getting a hepatitis A virus vaccination, especially for workers in the food service industry, as they can be instrumental in the spread of the virus when infected. Because hepatitis A symptoms can take so long to show up, health officials expected the number of reported cases to increase over the coming weeks. The class action lawsuit, filed Aug. 24 in Hawaii’s First Circuit Court, names as defendants Genki Sushi USA, scallop importer Sea Port Products, and distributor Koha Oriental Foods.See allGenki Sushi HawaiiAll locations are open today; please call individual locations for their hours.

Genki Sushi HawaiiDoes this even need a caption? (Photo credit Instagram user: @alamonitee)Genki Sushi HawaiiHaving a party for New Years? Visit your closest Genki Sushi location and ask about our great deals on Party Platters!Genki Sushi HawaiiMerry Christmas! sushi spinnery onlineGet some sushi therapy and visit Genki Sushi! sushiclub valencia online(Photo credit Instagram user: @thechonginator)jocuri online youda sushi chefGenki Sushi HawaiiCall individual locations for their hours today. sushi conveyor belt ontarioLocations that will be closed: Ala Moana, Waikele, Kukui Grove, Ward, Lahaina, Kona, Aina Haina and Kapolei.Genki Sushi HawaiiTomorrow, the following locations will be closed: Ala Moana, Waikele, Kukui Grove, Ward, Lahaina, Kona, Aina Haina, and KapoleiGenki Sushi HawaiiIt’s Christmas Eve! jiro dreams of sushi nottingham

All locations are open today, please call individual locations for their hours today.Genki Sushi HawaiiThe month is almost over, head over to Genki Sushi for their Spicy Ahi Mega Don!!! (Photo credit Instagram user: @n00bhaus)Genki Sushi HawaiiWhich # item gets you in the holiday spirit?where to buy sushi grade fish in boise idahoGenki Sushi HawaiiHaving a party for Christmas? Go to your closest Genki Sushi location and ask for our Party Platters.Genki Sushi HawaiiYummy, yummy. (Photo credit Yelper: Blayne Y.)Genki Sushi HawaiiJust a little closer to this Crab Tempura Roll. (Photo credit Yelper: K.N.)Genki Sushi HawaiiDoes this picture make your mouth water? It’s time for lunch at Genki Sushi! (Photo credit Instagram user: @jgdegracia)Genki Sushi Hawaii“I’m full.” What gets you full at Genki? (Photo credit Instagram user: @inkedupidgaf808)Genki Sushi HawaiiThank you for sharing!

http://ow.ly/qEWFLSushi: Genki SushiGenki Sushi HawaiiWoah! That Mega Don looks as big as that hat! (Photo credit Instagram user: @shanokix)I don‘t eat raw seafood, and I don’t trust chefs on food porn programs that who think scallops are cooked by bouncing them on the floor. I do believe in vaccines, and food porn chefs should be fully vaccinated. The Department of Health has determined that the Hepatitis A outbreak on Oahu is likely due to imported frozen scallops served raw at Genki Sushi restaurants on Oahu and Kauai. The restaurants were closed Monday to prevent any further illness and protect the public. Nicole Takahashi was eating at the Waikele restaurant when it happened. “Everything was going great until we got the news that we needed to finish and could just leave without paying for the food. We just got scared,” she told KHON2. “I had to ask why. I was scared, getting nervous, and they just got a call that there were scallops, tainted scallops, so all the Genki locations were being closed down.”