Hopkins County: Don’t eat fundraiser strawberries after child’s death

Health officials in Hopkins and Todd counties are warning people there not to eat strawberries sold through the local schools’ fundraisers after an 8-year-old boy died.

The Hopkins County Health Department said the child’s death is thought to be from an allergic reaction. However, officials still said they were “advising citizens not to eat any strawberries purchased by the school fundraiser for Madisonville North Hopkins High School and Hopkins County Central High School athletics,” the agency said in a Facebook post Friday.

The Madisonville Police Department said the child’s parents told them he had eaten “several strawberries from a school fundraiser” Thursday night, and “he began showing signs of an allergic reaction primarily manifested with a rash.”

The parents said they gave him Benadryl and soaked him in a bath, but when the symptoms didn’t improve, they took him to the emergency room at about 10:30 p.m., the police department said in a news release.

At 1:24 a.m. Friday, the family decided to leave the emergency room and went back home, police said.

“The 8-year-old changed his clothes and went to bed,” the release stated. “The family attempted to wake him up for school later that morning and discovered he was unresponsive.”

Police said they were called to the home at about 6:30 a.m. Friday because the child was not breathing, but the family had already taken him back to the hospital before they arrived, police said. He was pronounced dead soon after, police said.

An autopsy was conducted, police said. They said toxicology results were pending.

“While detectives were investigating at the emergency room, several staff members advised others had come in for treatment after consuming strawberries believed to be from the same fundraiser,” the release stated.

Police said the health department and Hopkins County School Board were notified “as a precaution” and “a warning was issued until more details could be identified as possible causes.”

The strawberries were being taken to the state laboratory for testing, the health department said.

“Although, this incident could be unrelated, the decision has been made to exercise caution and advise not eating any of these strawberries,” Hopkins County Public Health Director Denise Beach said in a Facebook post.

The strawberries sold through the fundraisers were distributed by Juicy Fruit LLC and were from Southern Grown and Sizemore Farms. The health department said Madisonville North Hopkins High School sold 443 flats of berries and Hopkins County Central High School sold 535.

Todd County Health Director Jen Harris also warned people not to eat strawberries purchased through a Todd County High School softball fundraiser because they were supplied by Juicy Fruit LLC, Southern Grown and Sizemore Farms, according to a statement posted on social media.

“According to Dr. Christopher Kiefer, Medical Examiner, the incident involving strawberries looks like an isolated allergic reaction,” Beach wrote in an update Friday. “He relates that this is a preliminary report, so we still advise not eating the strawberries currently.

“We appreciate your cooperation and patience as we get information to you as quickly as possible. Please refrain from contacting the hospital or medical offices unless you need medical care, as they are not able to take all these calls. We will keep you informed.”

Several other Kentucky schools issued statements to assure families that the strawberries they sold were safe.

“Sad news coming out of Hopkins, KY,” officials from Rosspoint Elementary School in Harlan County said in a post. “I wanted to relieve people’s minds that had ordered strawberries. This was not the company we got our strawberries from for our strawberry fundraiser. Continued prayers for this child’s family.”

McLean County High School officials said in a Facebook post that ”our product is safe. It has zero connections to the strawberries in Hopkins County.”

“Ours came from the Florida Fruit Association coming from 1 farm in Plant City FL. They have no connections with the other farms at issues,” the post said.

Phelps High School and Letcher County Central Bands also shared social media posts reassuring people their strawberries were fine to eat.

“There are several companies that do strawberry fundraisers in Kentucky,” the Letcher County post stated.

Beach said she had told the schools in Hopkins County to throw away any strawberries that students brought in lunches packed from home Friday.