U.S. and Canadian regulators are investigating a hepatitis outbreak that may be related to fresh organic strawberries.
In a joint statement this weekend, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Public Health Agency of Canada said the diseases in Minnesota, California and Canada occurred after people consumed strawberries from the United States. brand FreshKampo and HEB.
Agencies said the strawberries were bought between March 5 and April 25. They were sold to several American retailers, including Aldi, Kroger, Safeway, Walmart and Trader Joe’s. In Canada, the affected strawberries were sold March 5-9 at Co-op stores in Alberta and Saskatchewan.
Potentially affected strawberries have outlived their shelf life, but health officials say consumers who bought them and froze them to eat later should throw them away.
There have been 17 illnesses and 12 hospitalizations reported in the U.S., the FDA said. Ten cases and four hospitalizations have been reported in Canada.
FreshKampo, based in Mexico, which grew strawberries, said in a statement Sunday that it is working with regulators to determine how the problem occurred. FreshKampo said the label on the packaging of potentially affected strawberries would have said “Product of Mexico” or “Distributed by Meridien Foods.”
In a statement on its website, Texas grocery store HEB said it has not received or sold organic strawberries from the supplier in question since April 16. HEB said anyone who still has the strawberries should throw them away or return them to the store where they bought them. .
Hepatitis A is a virus that can cause liver disease and, in rare cases, liver failure and death. The disease usually appears 15 to 50 days after eating or drinking contaminated food or water. Symptoms include fatigue, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and jaundice.
Consumers who have eaten potentially affected berries for the past two weeks and have not been vaccinated against hepatitis A should see a doctor immediately, the FDA said.