The U.S. Food & Drug Administration and the Center for Disease Control and Canadian health officials are asking you to check your refrigerator for strawberries.
The FDA, CDC, Public Health Agency of Canada, and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency are looking into organic strawberries branded as FreshKampo and HEB purchased between May 5 and April 25th that may contain the Hepatitis A virus.
The products were sold at Aldi, Kroger, and Wal-Mart among other retailers throughout the country. Consumers, restaurants and retailers are advised not to sell, serve or eat these strawberries. A total of 17 cases in California, Minnesota, North Dakota, and Canada are currently being investigated.
Anyone unsure of the brand of strawberries they purchased or where they purchased them, should throw their strawberries away.
According to the FDA, symptoms of hepatitis A infection include fatigue, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, jaundice, dark urine, and pale stool. In some instances, particularly in children under the age of six, hepatitis A infection may be asymptomatic. Illness onset is usually between 15-30 days of ingestion of contaminated food.
The FDA says the investigation is ongoing and additional products may be included. The FDA urges you to contact your healthcare provider if you believe you have eaten these strawberries in the last 2 weeks.