Health & Fitness
Hepatitis Outbreak Linked To Strawberries At These NoVa, DC Stores
The FDA advises shoppers to throw out strawberries sold at these grocery stores in Virginia and Washington, DC.
VIRGINIA — A hepatitis A outbreak has prompted the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to warn shoppers to throw out strawberries sold at several grocery stores in Virginia and Washington, D.C. The fresh strawberries feared to be behind the outbreak were sold at some chains that operate in Virginia and the nation's capital, including Aldi, Walmart and Trader Joe's, as well as other grocery chains.
The FDA is investigating a multistate outbreak of hepatitis A potentially linked to tainted strawberries, with 17 cases in states including California, Minnesota and North Dakota. The Public Health Agency of Canada, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control are also investigating.
As of Tuesday, no cases had been reported in Virginia or the Washington, D.C. area, but the strawberry recall affects stores nationwide.
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The strawberries were sold between March 5 and April 25 under the brands FreshKampo and HEB. While the strawberries are past shelf life, those who froze the berries for later consumption should throw the berries out immediately, regulators said.
This is the full list of affected grocery stores, according to the FDA:
Find out what's happening in Manassasfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
- Aldi
- HEB
- Kroger
- Safeway
- Sprouts Farmers Market
- Trader Joe's
- Walmart
- Weis Markets
- WinCo Foods
"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 said in a statement.
Hepatitis A illness usually occurs within 15 to 50 days after eating contaminated food, according to the FDA. Symptoms include fatigue, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, jaundice, dark urine and pale stool. Chronic hepatitis A infection can lead to severe health problems, including liver failure and death.
Contact your healthcare provider if you think you may have symptoms of a hepatitis A infection, or if you believe that you have eaten these strawberries in the last two weeks.
This article contains reporting from the Patch national desk.
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