The strawberry hepatitis A outbreak has now hospitalized 13 people, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Eighteen people are sick in three states, an increase of one more patient since the outbreak was announced on May 28, 2022.
The CDC recommends that anyone who bought fresh organic strawberries branded as FreshKampo or HEB from the period of March 5, 2022 and April 15, 2022, and then froze those strawberries discard them immediately. If you aren’t sure if you bought those brands, throw them away.
If you ate those strawberries within the last two weeks, talk to your doctor about getting a hepatitis A vaccine. That vaccine is effective only if given within the first two weeks after exposure.
The case count by state is: California (16), Minnesota (1), and North Dakota (1). The new patient lives in California. Illness onset dates range from March 28, 2022 to May 6, 2022. The hospitalization rate for this outbreak is 72%, which is a very high rate.
In interviews, 11 out of 14 patients, or 79%, said they ate fresh organic strawberries before they got sick. Epidemiologic and traceback evidence also indicates that fresh organic strawberries are the likely source of this outbreak.
Symptoms of hepatitis A can take 15 to 50 days to manifest. One of the problems with this virus is that people can be infectious up to two weeks before they even know they are sick and can spread the illness.
Most people who contract this infection recover completely. But some people can become seriously ill, and in rare cases, the virus can cause liver failure and death. The elderly and people with chronic liver disease are more likely to have such serious complications.
Symptoms of a hepatitis A infection include loss of appetite, upset stomach, pain in the abdomen, especially the upper right quadrant, stomach pain, vomiting, fever, joint pain, diarrhea, dark urine, clay-colored stools, and jaundice. If you have eaten organic strawberries and have been ill with these symptoms, see your doctor. You may be part of this strawberry hepatitis A outbreak.
If you have been sickened with a hepatitis A infection after eating FreshKampo or HEB fresh organic strawberries, please contact our experienced attorneys for help with a possible lawsuit at 1-888-377-8900 or text us at 612-261-0856. Our firm represents clients in lawsuits against grocery stores and food processors..
