HEPATITIS OUTBREAK LINKED TO FRESH STRAWBERRIES: VACCINE CAN PROTECT AGAINST ILLNESS

East County News Service

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May 30, 2022 (San Diego) – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is warning consumers, retailers and restaurants not to eat, sell or serve any FreshKampo or HEB brand organic strawberries purchased between March 5 and April 25.

If you ate these berries in the past two weeks and have not been vaccinated against Hepatitis A, you should immediately consult your doctor to get vaccinated, which can prevent infection within 14 days of exposure. 

To date, 17 cases and 12 hospitalizations have been reported, including 15 cases in California. Minnesota and North Dakota also each had one case.

The strawberries were sold at retailers in California and elsewhere in the U.S. and Canada, including:

• Aldi
• HEB
• Kroger
• Safeway
•  Sprouts Farmers Market
• Trader Joe’s
• Walmart
•  Weis Markets
• WinCo Foods

Illness usually occurs within 15 to 50 days after eating or drinking contaminated food or water. Symptoms of hepatitis A infection include fatigue, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, jaundice, dark urine, and pale stools. In some instances, particularly in children under the age of six, hepatitis A infection may be asymptomatic.

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. Chronic hepatitis A infection can lead to more severe health problems, including liver failure, and death. Consult your health care provider if you have symptoms,

As this investigation is ongoing, additional products may be included. More information will be provided in this advisory as it becomes available.

If you’ve purchased these products or aren’t sure what brand of strawberries are in your refrigerator or freezer, throw them out. 

To report a complaint or adverse event (illness or serious allergic reaction), you can:

• Call an FDA Consumer Complaint Coordinator if you wish to speak directly to a person about your problem.
• Complete an electronic Voluntary MedWatch form online.
• Complete a paper Voluntary MedWatch form that can be mailed to FDA