The frozen strawberries hepatitis A outbreak has ended with 10 people sick in four states. Four patients were hospitalized because they were so ill, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
There were several recalls issued in relation to this outbreak. The CDC is recommending that anyone who bought those berries should not eat, serve, or sell them.
The case count by state is: Washington (6), California (2), Hawaii (1), and Oregon (1). Illness onset dates ranged from November 24, 2022 to May 27, 2023. The patient age range is from 38 to 64. Four people have been hospitalized because they are so sick.
Epidemiologic and traceback evidence indicates that frozen organic strawberries that were imported fresh from a single farm in Baja California, Mexico in 2022 were the source of the illness. The farm supplied strawberries to multiple importers across both outbreaks. And the virus strain that is making people sick in the 2023 outbreak is genetically identical to the strain that caused a fresh strawberry hepatitis A outbreak in 2022. The FDA is planning to use more import screening and sampling for strawberries grown in that region during the next growing season.
Investigators talked to patients to see what they ate before they got sick. Of those interviewed, 100% said they ate frozen organic strawberries. That proportion was significantly higher than the results from a survey of healthy people over the same time period, where 24% ate frozen berries.
These berries have a long shelf life. Please check your freezer carefully to see if you purchased any of the recalled strawberries. If you did, throw them away in a secure trash can or take them back to the store where you bought them. If you ate these berries, monitor your health for the symptoms of hepatitis A, which can take up to 50 days to appear.
If you do get sick, see your doctor. You may be part of this frozen strawberries hepatitis A outbreak.
If you have been sickened with a hepatitis A food poisoning infection after eating frozen 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, restaurants, and food processors.
