FDA investigating hepatitis A outbreak linked to strawberries 

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is investigating an outbreak of Hepatitis A that is allegedly linked to two brands of organic strawberries, the agency reported. 

“The FDA, along with CDC, the Public Health Agency of Canada, and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, state, and local partners are investigating a multistate outbreak of hepatitis A infections in the United States and Canada potentially linked to fresh organic strawberries branded as FreshKampo and HEB, purchased between March 5, 2022, and April 25, 2022,” the FDA said in a statement.

The strawberries were sold at different stores nationwide, including Aldi, HEB, Kroger, Safeway, Sprouts Farmers Market, Trader Joe’s, Walmart, Weis Markets, and WinCo Foods, among others.  

"If you are unsure of what brand you purchased, when you purchased your strawberries, or where you purchased them from prior to freezing them, the strawberries should be thrown away," the FDA added. 

FreshKampo said that the affected products are labeled “Products of Mexico” and “Distributed by Meridian Fruits.”

"FreshKampo wants consumers to know that it will continue to work with health officials and supply chain partners to determine where a problem may have occurred along the supply chain and take necessary measures to prevent it from happening again," the company said in a statement.

HEB said that all of the strawberries sold in their stores are safe, adding that it had “not received or sold organic strawberries from the supplier under investigation since April 16."

The FDA reported 17 Hepatitis A cases that are related to the outbreak, 12 of which required hospitalizations. Fifteen of the cases were found in California, one in Minnesota, and one in North Dakota. Canada also identified ten cases of Hepatitis A in Alberta and Saskatchewan. 

Hepatitis A is a contagious virus that can cause liver disease. Its symptoms, which include fatigue, nausea, stomach pain, and jaundice, can last up for several months, according to the FDA. In some rare cases, hepatitis A infections can cause death.

“People with hepatitis A infections usually completely recover within one to two weeks; however, in rare cases, hepatitis A may become chronic, causing relapsing infection,” the agency added.