Hepatitis A Outbreak in U.S. and Canada Linked to Strawberries

May 31, 2022
Hepatitis A Outbreak in U.S. and Canada Linked to Strawberries

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Public well being officers stated they had been investigating an outbreak of hepatitis A in the USA and Canada that’s doubtlessly linked to natural strawberries.

American well being officers stated the outbreak most definitely got here from contemporary natural strawberries branded as FreshKampo and H-E-B that had been purchased between March 5 and April 25.

The strawberries had been bought at shops together with Aldi, H-E-B, Kroger, Safeway, Sprouts Farmers Market, Dealer Joe’s, Walmart and Weis Markets, the Meals and Drug Administration stated.

The strawberries at the moment are previous their shelf life, and individuals who purchased them between March 5 and April 25 ought to throw them out, even when they froze them to eat later, well being officers stated.

In the USA, the F.D.A. stated it had recognized 17 instances of hepatitis A linked to the strawberries — 15 in California and one every in Minnesota and North Dakota. Twelve folks have been hospitalized, the company stated.

In Canada, well being officers stated they’d confirmed 10 instances — 4 in Alberta and 6 in Saskatchewan. 4 folks have been hospitalized in that nation.

No deaths linked to the strawberries have been reported in the USA or Canada, in response to officers in each international locations.

Hepatitis A is a contagious virus that will trigger liver illness. It may be transmitted when meals is consumed after it was dealt with by somebody who didn’t observe correct hand-washing hygiene, the F.D.A. stated.

Signs normally develop 15 to twenty days after consuming the contaminated meals and may embrace fatigue, nausea, vomiting, belly ache, jaundice, darkish urine and pale stool, the F.D.A. stated.

Individuals who consider they could be contaminated or could have eaten the contaminated strawberries within the final two weeks ought to speak to their well being care supplier, the F.D.A. stated.

In an announcement, H-E-B, which relies in Texas, stated that it had not obtained or bought natural strawberries from the provider beneath investigation since April 16.

“All strawberries bought at H-E-B are protected,” the corporate stated. “No diseases from strawberries associated to the F.D.A. investigation have been reported at H-E-B or in Texas.”

FreshKampo stated it was not transport contemporary natural strawberries linked to the outbreak. People who had been bought between March 5 and April 25 got here in a plastic clamshell bundle with a label that learn, “Distributed by Meridian Fruits,” the corporate stated in an announcement.

“FreshKampo needs shoppers to know that it’ll proceed to work with well being officers and provide chain companions to find out the place an issue could have occurred alongside the availability chain and take obligatory measures to stop it from occurring once more,” the assertion stated.

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Supply- nytimes