U.S. and Canadian regulators are investigating an epidemic of hepatitis that may be linked to fresh organic strawberries.
In a joint statement over the weekend, the US Food and Drug Administration and the Public Health Agency of Canada said that the diseases in Minnesota, California and Canada arose after people ate strawberries with FreshKampo and HEB.
Agencies said the strawberries were purchased between March 5th and April 25th. They have been sold to various retailers in the United States, including Aldi, Kroger, Safeway, Walmart and Trader Joe’s. In Canada, the affected strawberries were sold between March 5 and 9 at Co-op stores in Alberta and Saskatchewan.
The potentially affected strawberries have expired, but health officials say consumers who bought them and froze them to eat later should throw them away.
There are 17 reported diseases and 12 hospitalizations in the United States, the FDA said. Ten cases and four hospitalizations have been reported in Canada.
Mexican-based strawberry growing company FreshKampo said in a statement Sunday that it was working with regulators to determine how the problem arose. FreshKampo said the label on potentially affected strawberry containers would say “Product of Mexico” or “Distributed by Meridien Foods.”
In a statement on its website, Texas grocer HEB said it had not received or sold organic strawberries from the supplier since April 16. HEB said that anyone who still has strawberries should throw them away or return them to the store where they were bought.
Hepatitis A is a virus that can cause liver disease and, in rare cases, liver failure and death. The disease usually occurs within 15 to 50 days after eating or drinking contaminated food or water. Symptoms include fatigue, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and jaundice.
Consumers who have eaten potentially affected fruits in the past two weeks and have not been vaccinated against hepatitis A should consult a doctor immediately, the FDA said.
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