A hepatitis A frozen strawberries outbreak in Washington state has sickened at least five people, according to the FDA. Three of the cases are confirmed, and two are probable, as of March 17, 2022. Two patients have been hospitalized because they are so sick. And two recalls of organic frozen strawberries have been issued. California Splendor recalled Kirkland Signature 4 pound bag of frozen organic strawberries sold in in California and Hawaii; and Scenic Fruit recalled certain lots of these brand names: Simply Nature, Vital Choice, Kirkland Signature, Made With, PCC Community Markets, and Trader Joe's Organic Tropical Fruit Blend. All are frozen organic strawberries. If you have any of these products in your home, discard them. More products may be recalled as the investigation … [Read more...]
Frozen Strawberries Hepatitis A Outbreak Announced by CDC
A frozen strawberries hepatitis A outbreak has been announced why the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The outbreak has sickened five people who live in Washington state. The outbreak is linked to frozen organic strawberries that were imported from "certain farms" located in Baja California, Mexico by a common supplier. All five patients live in Washington state. Illness onset dates range from November 24, 2022 to December 27, 2022. The patient age range is from 38 to 61 years. Of five people who gave information about their illness to public health investigators, two, or 40%, have been hospitalized. Two recalls have been issued in response to this outbreak. The first is for Kirkland Signature Frozen Organic Whole Strawberries distributed by Costco in Los … [Read more...]
Scenic Fruit Frozen Strawberries Recalled in Hepatitis A Outbreak
Scenic Fruit Frozen Strawberries are being recalled due to a hepatitis A outbreak investigation, according to the FDA. Hepatitis A has not been detected on this product, but consumers should stop consuming the berries out of an abundance of caution. The strawberries were sold to these stores: Costco, Aldi, KeHE, Vital Choice Seafood, and PCC Community Markets, and are in frozen Organic Tropical Fruit Blend sold to Trader Joe’s. Hepatitis A is a contagious liver disease that can cause serious complications and even liver failure in some people with pre-existing liver disease and immune system illnesses. Most people get sick within 15 to 50 days after consuming products contaminated with this virus. Symptoms of a hepatitis A infection include fatigue, diarrhea, low grade fever, … [Read more...]
Hepatitis A Outbreak Prompts Recall of Kirkland Strawberries
A hepatitis A outbreak has prompted the recall of Kirkland Signature Frozen Organic Strawberries sold at Costco stores in Los Angeles, Hawaii, and two San Diego business centers, according to the FDA. The FDA recall states that the recall is "due to an outbreak of hepatitis A illnesses." The recalling firm is California Splendor, Inc. of San Diego, California. The recall notice states that hepatitis A has not been detected on this product, but the recall is being issued out of an abundance of caution. There is a hepatitis A outbreak on the FDA's CORE Outbreak Investigation Table, At least five people are sick in that outbreak. Traceback, sample collection, and analysis has begun in that investigation. We do not know if the outbreak mentioned in the recall notice is this … [Read more...]
FDA Adds Salmonella Hartford Outbreak to CORE Investigation
The FDA has added a new Salmonella Hartford outbreak to its CORE Outbreak Investigation Table. It joins three other outbreak investigations that are still active as of March 8, 2023. The Salmonella Hartford outbreak has sickened at least 31 people so far. No food has been identified yet. There is no information about illness onset dates, if anyone has been hospitalized, or the patient age range. So far, traceback has been initiated in this outbreak investigation. The hepatitis A outbreak investigation has been updated. There are now just five illnesses in that outbreak. That number was reduced from nine cases, after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) excluded some suspect cases from the overall count. Sample collection and analysis, along with traceback, has … [Read more...]
New Hepatitis A Outbreak on FDA CORE Investigation Table
A new hepatitis A outbreak has been issued on the FDA's CORE Outbreak Investigation Table. At least nine people have been sickened in this new outbreak. And there are still two Listeria monocytogenes outbreaks on the table, while the Salmonella Typhimurium outbreak linked to Sun Sprouts alfalfa sprouts has ended. This new hepatitis A outbreak is not yet linked to any particular food. We do not know the patient age range, illness onset dates, or whether or not anyone has been hospitalized. The FDA has initiated traceback, but there has not been any on-site inspection, recall, sample collection, or laboratory analysis yet. And there is a mystery Listeria monocytogenes outbreak that is still unsolved. In that investigation, traceback has been initiated, and an on-site inspection has … [Read more...]
Number Six Outbreak of 2022: Hepatitis in Strawberries
The number six outbreak of 2022 was the hepatitis in strawberries outbreak that sickened at least 19 people in four states. Thirteen of those patients were hospitalized, which is very high for this type of outbreak. This hepatitis A outbreak ended in August 2022. The illnesses were linked to HEB organic strawberries and FreshKampo strawberries. The case count by state was: Arizona (1), California (16), Minnesota (1), and North Dakota (1). Illness onset dates ranged from March 28, 2022 to May 6, 2022. The patient age range was from 9 to 73 years. There were 18 confirmed cases and one probable case. The outbreak was solved through epidemiologic and traceback evidence. Seventy-three percent of patients said they ate fresh organic strawberries before they got sick. The strawberries … [Read more...]
Strawberry Hepatitis A Outbreak Ends with 18 Sick 13 Hospitalized
The strawberry hepatitis A outbreak has ended with 18 sick, including one probable case, and 13 hospitalized, including 1 probable case, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The illness were linked to FreshKampo and HEB organic strawberries. The case count by state is: California (16), Minnesota (1), and North Dakota (1). Illness onset dates range from March 28, 2022 to May 6, 2022. The patient age range was from 9 to 73 years. Epidemiologic and traceback evidence has indicated that fresh organic strawberries were the likely source of this outbreak. In interviews, 73% of patients reported eating fresh organic strawberries before they got sick. If you purchased either brand of strawberries during the time period of March 5, 2022 through April 15, … [Read more...]
FDA Works to Improve Safety of Fresh and Frozen Berries
The FDA is working to improve the safety of fresh and frozen berries in the wake of hepatitis A and norovirus outbreaks linked to those items. An ongoing hepatitis A outbreak linked to fresh organic strawberries has sickened at least 18 people in three states, and a hepatitis A outbreak in 2020 linked to blackberries sickened 20 people in seven states. In the United States, there have been three hepatitis A outbreaks and three norovirus outbreak linked to frozen berries from 1990 to 2016, and since 2011, there have been three hepatitis A outbreaks linked to fresh berries. Globally, from 1983 to 2018, there were 50 outbreaks associated with frozen berries, with 36 caused by norovirus and 14 by hepatitis. While freezing preserves berries, it does not inactive viruses. The berries … [Read more...]
One More Probable Hepatitis A Strawberries Case Added
One more probable hepatitis A strawberries case has been added to the investigation into the outbreak linked to that fruit, according to the FDA. That person has been hospitalized. We do not know where that person lives, or the age range of any of the patients. We do know that the last illness onset date was May 6, 2022. And the recall of Urban Remedy Tea that was reported on June 10, 2022 is now considered a market withdrawal, since that product was not made with the recalled strawberries. The strawberries were imported from Baja, California and branded as FreshKampo and HEB by a common supplier. The berries that caused these illnesses were purchased between March 5, 2022 and April 15, 2022. They are obviously past their shelf life, but some consumers may have processed and … [Read more...]
