Posted 10 hours ago,
Reading 2 mins.
Since the beginning of April, 17 cases of hepatitis A have been identified in the United States and Canada. Organic strawberries would most certainly be the source of contamination.
Acute hepatitis A is a virus affecting the liver that is most often transmitted by the hands, or by ingesting food or water contaminated with feces. In France, the number of patients is minimal (about 411 cases of acute hepatitis A in 2020) but on the other side of the Atlantic, the disease seems to be spreading recently.
Hepatitis A epidemic: organic strawberries are responsible
Of the 17 cases identified in the United States and Canada, a dozen patients had to be hospitalized because of a degraded state of health.
According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), organic strawberries from the FreshKampo and HEB brands, sold on supermarket shelves between March 5 and April 25, could be the source of this start of the epidemic.
The authorities are currently investigating these contaminated fruits in order to determine with certainty the origin of the cases.
Recommendations from health authorities
US and Canadian health authorities recommend that people who still have FreshKampo and HEB brand strawberries throw them away.
The FDA, along with CDC, Canadian, state, and local partners are investigating a multistate outbreak of hepatitis A in the US & Canada potentially linked to fresh organic strawberries branded as FreshKampo & HEB, purchased between March 5 & April 25. https://t.co/7eCsxY5Une pic.twitter.com/prtfw9UWQB
— US FDA (@US_FDA) May 28, 2022
In addition, the FDA recommends consulting a doctor as soon as possible in case of consumption of these strawberries. People who have not been vaccinated against hepatitis A are particularly affected. Indeed, this infectious disease is not without risks: it causes inflammatory lesions in the liver and alters the cells, called hepatocytes.
Usually almost everyone who gets hepatitis A recovers completely, but a very small proportion of those infected with the virus may die of fulminant hepatitis (inflammation of the liver).
In 2016, hepatitis A would have caused approximately 7134 deaths according to the WHO.
Hepatitis A: the right things to do
No treatment exists to fight against the infection. This is why the prevention of hepatitis A is mainly based on hygiene (washing your hands regularly, changing tea towels, avoiding sharing glasses and cutlery at the table, cleaning the toilets, etc.) and vaccination.
In case of infection, certain measures must be adopted:
- To rest ;
- Adopt a balanced diet;
- Stop certain medications (oral contraceptives for example), which have an impact on the liver;
- Stop drinking alcohol until fully recovered.
In terms of vaccination, an effective vaccine has been available since 1992. The protection is effective approximately two weeks after the injection and probably lasts for life if it has been complete (2 doses). Vaccination is strongly recommended for people at risk of developing a severe form and/or people particularly exposed to the virus.
To note : it may take several weeks for the symptoms of the disease to disappear. In severe cases, a liver transplant (a liver transplant) can be performed urgently.
Slide: Food poisoning: 10 hygiene rules to avoid them