The Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are warning about a multistate outbreak of hepatitis A infections potentially linked to fresh organic strawberries.
Both agencies state that the strawberries are branded as FreshKampo and HEB and were sold at numerous grocery stores such as:
Recommended Videos
- Aldi
- HEB
- Kroger
- Safeway
- Sprouts Farmers Market
- Trader Joe’s
- Walmart
- Weis Markets
- WinCo Foods
Affected products were purchased between March 5, 2022, and April 25, 2022. While both products are past their shelf life, those who may have purchased the berries and then froze them to eat at a later time are urged to throw them away immediately.
The FDA says if you are unsure of which brand you bought before freezing them, then it’d be best to dispose of them.
The FDA, along with CDC, Canadian, state, and local partners are investigating a multistate outbreak of hepatitis A in the U.S. & Canada potentially linked to fresh organic strawberries branded as FreshKampo & HEB, purchased between March 5 & April 25. https://t.co/7eCsxY5Une pic.twitter.com/prtfw9UWQB
— U.S. FDA (@US_FDA) May 28, 2022
Furthermore, if you ate the previously mentioned strawberries within the last two weeks and have not been vaccinated against hepatitis A, you’re advised to contact your primary care provider and determine how to best move forward.
According to the CDC, hepatitis A is a liver infection caused by the hepatitis A virus (HAV) and is also known to be very contagious. Symptoms can last up to two months and include:
- Fatigue
- Nausea
- Throwing up
- Stomach pain
- Yellow skin or eyes
- Decreased appetite
- Fever
- Joint pain
So far, there have been 17 illnesses and 12 hospitalizations in the U.S. in connection to this outbreak, according to the FDA.
