Fresh Strawberries Have Been Linked to Hepatitis A Outbreak—Here’s What You Need to Know
The FDA issued a recall of organic strawberries due to a potential hepatitis A contamination.
Impacted brands include FreshKampo and HEB which were purchased between March 5 and April 25.
Currently, 17 illnesses have been reported in three states with additional infections reported in Canada.
While strawberries have some serious health benefits, you might want to forego the tasty fruit for now. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently issued a warning against consuming certain organic strawberries due to a potential link to the hepatitis A virus. It’s important to note that this is a separate investigation from the ongoing CDC alert over hepatitis cases in children causing liver failure.
The recall impacts organic fresh strawberries from FreshKampo or HEB brands purchased between March 5 and April 25, 2022. These products are sold at major retailers across the country including Walmart, Trader Joe’s, Kroger, Safeway, Sprouts Farmers Market, and more.
The impacted strawberries are currently past shelf life (meaning they shouldn’t be available for purchase and should be thrown out regardless), but the FDA is encouraging consumers to double-check their strawberries, especially if you froze them with the intention of eating them at a later time. If you’re unsure of the brand of strawberries purchased or the date you bought them, the FDA is encouraging you to throw away the strawberries.
Currently, 17 illnesses have been reported in California, Minnesota, and South Dakota, with additional cases reported in Canada. There have been 12 hospitalizations but no deaths. The last reported illness was on April 30, 2022.
If you are worried you consumed strawberries from the impacted brands during the last two weeks and have not been vaccinated for hepatitis A, the FDA suggests contacting your healthcare provider for the best treatment. It is possible they will recommend post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), which is recommended for unvaccinated people who have been exposed to a hepatitis A virus in the last two weeks, according to the FDA. If you are vaccinated or have had a previous hepatitis A exposure, you do not need PEP.
What is hepatitis A?
The hepatitis A virus is a contagious virus that can cause liver disease. It can range from a mild illness that lasts one to two weeks to a severe illness that can last months or reoccur over time, according to the FDA. For those with pre-existing health conditions or weakened immune systems, hepatitis A can lead to liver failure or even death.
“While most people do get better, there’s a very small subset that may develop more severe hepatic disease and, rarely, hepatic failure,” Thomas Russo, M.D., professor and chief of infectious disease at the University at Buffalo in New York previously told Prevention.
Hepatitis A is typically transferred from an infected person or by eating or drinking contaminated food or water. Symptoms typically occur within 15 to 50 days after eating or drinking contaminated food or water. Children under the age of six may be asymptomatic, but for others, symptoms include:
Fatigue
Nausea
Vomiting
Abdominal pain
Jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes)
Dark urine
Pale stool
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a total of 12,474 hepatitis A infections were reported in 2018, but because many people go undiagnosed, the number is likely closer to 24,900.
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