More details released about Minnesota hepatitis A case linked to strawberries
Health officials have released more details about the case of hepatitis A in Minnesota that has been linked to strawberries, part of a wider national outbreak.
The Minnesota Department of Health says that the patient in Minnesota is believed to have contracted hepatitis A from FreshKampo strawberries they bought from a Mississippi Market Natural Foods Co-op store on March 21.
The case in Minnesota did not result in hospitalization, with the patient since recovering from their illness.
Both FreshKampo and HEB brands of strawberries are being investigated by the Food and Drug Administration as well as authorities in Canada as being possible carriers of the virus.
Recent outbreaks in California, Minnesota, North Dakota and Canada have been linked to these strawberries that are typically sold at popular grocery stores, such as Aldi, HEB, Kroger, Safeway, Sprouts Farmers Market, Trader Joe’s, Walmart, Weis Markets and Winco Foods. These strawberries would have been purchased between March 5, 2022 and April 25, 2022.
As of Wednesday, a total of 17 cases have been reported in the U.S., 12 of which required hospitalizations. In interviews with those affected, the CDC says 77% of them said they had eaten fresh organic strawberries before becoming ill in a two-to-seven-week period.
Symptoms of hepatitis A include vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pain, yellowing of the skin and eyes, as well as dark urine and clay-colored stools. MDH said symptoms usually occur 15 to 50 days after eating or drinking contaminated food or water.
While the affected products are past their shelf life, the FDA recommends any consumers who bought the strawberries between March 5 and April 25 and froze them should not eat them.
And consumers who have already consumed the strawberries in the past two weeks should consult with a doctor if they haven’t been vaccinated against hepatitis A, according to the FDA.
