An outbreak of hepatitis A has spurred the FDA to issue a public alert about fresh-frozen blood clams imported from Ecuador and sold under the La Serranita brand.
The outbreak is under investigation by the New York State Department of Health and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The first illness related to the clams was reported in July 2025, with the most recent case of hepatitis A being reported in February this year. The threat is ongoing because of the long shelf life of the frozen blood clams, which are also referred to as concha negra (black shell) shell meat.
The implicated clam meat was shipped to a New York dealer from a New Jersey dealer/importer and distributed within New York state. The product may have been further distributed.
Consumers can use the following label information to determine whether they have the implicated clams:
- La Serranita
- Concha Negra
- Shell Meat
- Fresh Frozen
- Net Weight 16 oz (454 g)
About hepatitis A infections
Hepatitis A is a highly contagious, vaccine-preventable, liver infection caused by the Hepatitis A Virus (HAV). People can become infected by contaminated food, sick food handlers and person-to-person contact
Not everyone with hepatitis A has symptoms. Adults are more likely to have symptoms than children. If symptoms develop, they usually appear two to seven weeks, at an average of 28-30 days, after infection. Symptoms usually last less than two months, although some people can be ill for as long as six months.
If symptoms develop, they can include yellow skin or eyes, not wanting to eat, upset stomach throwing up, stomach pain, fever, dark urine or light-colored stools, diarrhea, joint pain, feeling tired.
Even if no symptoms are present people can still spread the infection. In addition, a person can transmit hepatitis A to others up to two weeks before symptoms appear.
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