Hepatitis A outbreak in the US and Canada

United States and Canada have reported Hepatitis A, and it is thought to have spread due to infected organic strawberries.

The strawberries, which were distributed statewide, were marketed under the FreshKampo or HEB brand names between March 5 and April 25, according to a statement released late Saturday by the US Food and Drug Administration.

In the United States, 17 illnesses have been documented, with 12 hospitalizations.

Whereas in Canada, 10 infections have been reported.

At least 15 instances are documented in California, while four cases are reported in Alberta and six in Saskatchewan in Canada.

The fruit was marketed nationwide in at least nine grocery chains, including Trader Joe’s and Walmart, according to the FDA.

While, the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) said the berries were sold between March 5 and 9 at locations in Saskatchewan and Alberta and are no longer available in Canada.

“People who purchased the fresh strawberries and then froze those strawberries for later consumption should not eat them. They should be thrown away,” the FDA said.