Hepatitis A outbreak may be linked to organic strawberries, FDA says

Several U.S. and Canadian agencies are investigating whether two brands of organic strawberries may be to blame for a hepatitis A outbreak that’s so far hit two states and Canada.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, along with the Public Health Agency of Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, are collaborating on an investigation into outbreaks reported in Minnesota, California and Canada, the agencies announced Saturday.

Before getting sick, the patients reported buying fresh organic strawberries branded as FreshKampo or HEB between March 5 and April 25.

The strawberries were bought from Aldi, HEB, Kroger, Safeway, Sprouts Farmers Market, Trader Joe’s, Walmart, Weis Markets and WinCo Foods.

At least 17 people have reported illnesses and 12 have been hospitalized so far, according to the FDA.

Anyone who purchased the fresh strawberries and still has them, even if frozen, is advised to throw them out.

Symptoms of hepatitis A, a vaccine-preventable liver infection, include fatigue, nausea, stomach pain and jaundice and can last up to two months, according to the CDC.