Woman sickened by Hepatitis A from tainted scallops dies

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - A Hawaii woman suffering from Hepatitis A after eating tainted scallops at Genki Sushi this summer has died.

The patient, who was in her 60s, never got the life-saving liver transplant she needed to survive.

Attorney Bill Marler, who represents the woman's family along with 75 others who were sickened as part of the outbreak, said the woman died last week.

"She did develop Hepatitis, she did suffer from liver failure and she just frankly never recovered … she developed a number of other complications and unfortunately she passed away last week," Marler said.

At least one other Hepatitis A patient developed acute liver failure.

Some 291 people were sickened in the outbreak, and 73 of them have required hospitalization.

The state Health Department identified raw scallops served at Genki Sushi restaurants on Oahu and Kauai as the likely source of the ongoing outbreak back in August.

Marler confirmed the patient who died ate the tainted scallops.

"She was unfortunately a culture-positive Hepatitis A victim who did consume scallops at Genki Sushi in July and became ill," said Marler.

The Hawaii Health Department says there have been no new cases of Hepatitis A since the last update was released last week.

However, Marler said it's by no means a victory.

"It's a good sign that the numbers aren't going up anymore. I'm sure the health department feels good about that. Unfortunately we're now dealing a woman who died from eating food. And in the United States in 2016, that shouldn't be how it is," he said.

Although the maximum 50-day incubation period from the date of the scallops were embargo has already passed, the Health Department is still on the lookout for secondary cases, such as household members who came into close contact with patients.

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