The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said on Wednesday that a recent multi-state of hepatitis A infections appears to be linked to fresh organic strawberries.
The FDA and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), along with the Public Health Agency of Canada, Canadian Food Inspection Agency, and state and local partners, are investigating the outbreak in the US and Canada.
This outbreak is mostly linked to fresh, organic strawberries with the FreshKampo or HEB labels and purchased between March 5 and April 25.
The FDA sais in a Wednesday statement that the "potentially contaminated strawberries were imported from Baja California, a state in northern Mexico and branded as FreshKampo and HEB by a common supplier."
The fruits were purchased between March 5 and April 25.
"If you are unsure of what brand you purchased, when you purchased your strawberries or where you purchased them from prior to freezing them, the strawberries should be thrown away," the FDA said.
The strawberries were sold at stores like HEB, Kroger, Safeway, Sprouts Farmers, Trader Joe's, Walmart, Weis Markets and WinCo Foods, regulators said.
The FDA has received reports of 17 hepatitis A cases in the US since the strawberries hit the stores and a dozen people have been hospitalized. Most of the cases have been in California, but one case has been reported in both Minnesota and North Dakota.
In Canada, 10 cases of hepatitis A and four hospitalizations have been reported tied to the strawberries, as per reports.
The FDA said in its statement, "No deaths have been reported, but anyone who consumes the potentially harmful strawberries should immediately see a doctor and ask about a hepatitis vaccine."
Hepatitis A is a contagious yet treatable virus that infects the liver, causing it to swell and malfunction. Most people catch the virus from contaminated food or water.
HEB said it has not received or sold the strawberries under investigation since April 16. The Texas-based grocer maintained that its strawberries are safe, but said customers should throw away any organic strawberries purchased between March 5 and April 25.
FreshKampo, a Mexico-based grower and distributor of fruits and vegetables, said it has stopped distributing the strawberries that are under investigation. None of the company's other products have been added to the FDA's probe.
