U.S. and Canadian authorities announced a possible link between a brand of organic strawberries and a recent multi-state outbreak of hepatitis A, which is being investigated to determine with certainty its origin.

According to a U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) statement, representatives from the FDA, along with the Public Health Agency of Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, are investigating an outbreak of hepatitis A infections and its potential link to a brand of organic fresh strawberries.

So far, 17 cases of hepatitis A have been detected in California, Minnesota and Canada, all possibly related to the consumption of this product and 12 of these cases have involved hospitalization.

According to the statement, epidemiological and traceability data are what showed that these strawberries could be the cause of this outbreak, a product that has been sold through various retail businesses between March 5 and April 25, 2022.

The recommendation by the authorities to consumers, retailers and restaurants is not to eat, serve or sell any fresh or frozen strawberries of the brand purchased during the above-mentioned period.

In addition, experts advise that if consumers are unsure of the brand of their strawberries, the retailer from which they came or the date of purchase, they should discard them.

Source:

FDA. Outbreak Investigation of Hepatitis A Virus: Strawberries (May 2022).
https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/outbreak-investigation-hepatitis-virus-strawberries-may-2022