It has been suggested that strawberries cause hepatitis A disease. Epidemics that started with the coronavirus epidemic continued in recent months with mysterious hepatitis, monkeypox virus and calf tuberculosis. According to the new claim; Strawberry causes hepatitis A disease. So far, 17 people have been infected with the disease.
Some health institutions in the USA and Canada have raised the alarm about strawberries. Health agencies began investigating an outbreak of Hepatitis A potentially linked to organic strawberries purchased in March and April.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has warned consumers not to eat the FreshKampo and HEB strawberry brands sold in major grocery stores such as Aldi, Kroger, Safeway, Sprouts Farmers Market, Trader Joe’s, Walmart, and other major chains. “Epidemiological and backtracking data suggest that fresh organic strawberries sold as brands FreshKampo and HEB purchased between March 5, 2022 and April 25, 2022 are a possible cause of disease in this outbreak,” the agency said.
STRAWBERRY-LINKED HEPATITIS A DETECTED IN 17 PEOPLE
The FDA, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Public Health Canada, and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency are investigating infections, along with state and local partners. The FDA said cases of Hepatitis A reported in California, Minnesota and Canada were traced back to those who bought organic strawberry brands.
A total of 17 cases and 12 hospitalizations were reported in the US, with 15 in California, one in Minnesota, and one in North Dakota. Although strawberries are now past their shelf life, the FDA has warned that anyone who may have frozen the fruit should throw them in the trash.
WHAT IS HEPATITIS A?
Hepatitis A, popularly known as jaundice, is highly contagious. There is no specific treatment for Hepatitis A, which is generally seen in countries with poor sanitation and hygiene. Hepatitis A is a serious liver disease that is transmitted from person to person, caused by the hepatitis A virus, or HAV. Hepatitis A is a disease transmitted by contact with the feces of an infected person. The first way hepatitis A is transmitted is by not washing hands properly. It is different from hepatitis B or hepatitis C. Unlike hepatitis A, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C, it does not cause chronic liver disease, but weakens the liver and can cause acute liver failure.
According to the World Health Organization, 7,134 people worldwide died of acute liver failure due to hepatitis A in 2016. These deaths constitute 0.5 percent of deaths due to viral hepatitis. Hepatitis A has emerged sporadically and in epidemics worldwide, with a trend of cyclical recurrence. For example, about 300,000 people in Shanghai in 1988 were affected by hepatitis A. The disease is common in low- and middle-income countries, where sanitation and hygiene are generally poor. In such countries, most children are infected with the virus before the age of 10 before they show symptoms. Outbreaks have been seen among people who are homeless in the United States. (TGRT)