The FDA with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Public Health Agency of Canada, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and state and local partners said the strawberries were branded FreshHampo and HEB and purchased between March 5 and April 25.
They were distributed throughout the country and sold to a number of retailers, including Aldi, HEB, Kroger, Safeway, Sprouts Farmers Market, Trader Joe’s, Walmart, Weis Markets and WinCo Foods.
Potentially affected strawberries have already expired, the FDA says, but people who have frozen them for later use should not eat them.
“If you’re not sure what brand you bought when you bought the strawberries or where you bought them before you froze them, the strawberries should be discarded,” the FDA warned.
Seventeen cases of hepatitis have been identified in California, Minnesota and North Dakota, leading to 12 hospitalizations, the FDA said. Follow-up investigations show that cases in California, Minnesota and Canada reported buying strawberries. More products may be included as the investigation is ongoing. People fall ill between March 28 and April 30.
The FDA also recommends that anyone who has purchased and eaten strawberries in the past two weeks who has not been vaccinated against hepatitis A should consult a healthcare professional to determine if post-exposure prophylaxis is necessary. Anyone who thinks they may have symptoms after eating strawberries should contact their doctor.
According to the CDC, symptoms of hepatitis A usually appear two to seven weeks after infection and usually last less than two months. Not everyone has symptoms and some people can be ill for up to six months.
Symptoms may include yellow skin or eyes, reluctance to eat, upset stomach, vomiting, stomach pain, fever, dark urine or light stools, diarrhea, joint pain and feeling tired.
Adults are more likely than children to have symptoms if they are infected.
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