Hepatitis A Outbreak Linked to Organic Strawberries Sold in the US and Canada

The FDA, CDC, and state and local partners have been investigating a recent hepatitis A outbreak potentially linked to fresh organic strawberries in the United States and Canada.

Epidemiologic and traceback data suggest that the recent outbreak was most likely linked to fresh, organic strawberries branded as HEB and FreshKampo and purchased between March 5 and April 25.

The FDA noted that these two brands might have been sold at numerous grocery stores, including Kroger, Trader Joe’s, Walmart, Safeway, Sprouts Farmers Market, WinCo Foods, Weis Markets, and HEB.

Although these contaminated strawberries are now past their shelf life and unavailable for purchase, health officials recommend that people who bought HEB and FreshKampo strawberries between March 5 and April 25 do not eat them, even if frozen.

In the US, the FDA has verified 17 cases of hepatitis A associated with the compromised strawberries ­— 15 in California, 1 in Minnesota, and 1 in North Dakota. Out of the 17 cases, 12 people have been hospitalized.

Canadian health officials have confirmed 10 cases linked to the outbreak — 4 in Alberta and 6 in Saskatchewan. Out of the 10 cases, 4 people have been hospitalized.

According to officials in both countries, no deaths linked to the tainted strawberries have been reported.

Hepatitis A is a vaccine-preventable liver infection caused by the contagious hepatitis A virus (HAV). According to the FDA, the HAV can be transmitted by consuming food after being handled by an individual who did not follow proper handwashing hygiene.

Symptoms usually appear 15–20 days after eating contaminated food and can consist of fatigue, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, jaundice, dark urine, and pale stool.

The FDA said that people who believe they are infected or may have eaten the tainted strawberries in the past 14 days should speak to their healthcare provider.

On May 29, HEB, based in Texas, announced that it had not received or sold organic strawberries from the supplier under investigation since April 16.

“All strawberries sold at HEB are safe,” the company stated. “No illnesses from strawberries related to the FDA investigation have been reported at HEB or in Texas.”

FreshKampo said it was no longer transporting fresh organic strawberries linked to the outbreak. The HAV-infected strawberries sold between March 5 and April 25 were packed in a plastic clamshell package with a label that read, “Distributed by Meridian Fruits,” the company said in a statement.

“FreshKampo wants consumers to know that it will continue to work with health officials and supply chain partners to determine where a problem may have occurred along the supply chain and take necessary measures to prevent it from happening again,” said the company.