Urgent warning over strawberries from Walmart & Trader Joe’s after Hepatitis A outbreak leaves 12 people hospitalized

CUSTOMERS have been warned to throw strawberries in the trash if they were bought from a number of popular chains after they were linked to an outbreak of Hepatitis A.

The Food and Drug Administration is investigating after the bad berries were connected to 17 illnesses, with 12 leading to hospitalizations.

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The FDA is investigating batches of strawberries in the United States and Canada which were sold at Aldi, HEB, Kroger, Safeway, Sprouts Farmers Market, Trader Joe's, Walmart, Weis Markets and WinCo Foods, among others.

The multistate outbreak impacts HEB and FreshKampo brand strawberries.

The FDA says that strawberries bought between March 5, 2022 and April 25, 2022, were affected, so it's likely that most consumers will have either eaten or already thrown them away.

But officials say if you bought HEB or FreshKampo strawberries between those dates and froze them, you should dispose of them immediately.

There is no suggestion that strawberries bought outside those dates are affected, and fruit bought today would be safe to eat.

The FDA believes that the outbreak infected organic strawberries packaged by the two companies.

So far, Hepatitis A cases linked to the strawberries have been recorded in three states: California, Minnesota and North Dakota, officials say.

"If you are unsure of what brand you purchased, when you purchased your strawberries, or where you purchased them from prior to freezing them, the strawberries should be thrown away," the FDA told .

Public health agencies in Canada are also investigating the outbreak, although no cases have been confirmed in Canada.

Hepatitis A can have symptoms ranging from mild to severe, and most people infected recover fully within a few weeks.

Symptoms include muscle pain, fever, tiredness, feeling sick, and loss of appetite.

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However, in some instances, it can lead to liver disease and even result in death.

There is a vaccination available for Hepatitis A.