BRIEFING ON HEPATITIS A OUTBREAK ASSOCIATED WITH STRAWBERRIES
                                                               
                                   Tom Amontree  (202) 720-4623
                                   Laura Trivers (202) 720-4623
                                                               
                                                               
                                              Release No. 0099.97

Media Advisory


TODAY -- BRIEFING ON HEPATITIS A OUTBREAK ASSOCIATED WITH STRAWBERRIES -- 

     WASHINGTON, April 2, 1997--Officials from the U.S. Department of
Agriculture, the Food and Drug Administration, and the Centers for Disease
Control will hold a press briefing at 4 p.m. TODAY (4/2) to discuss the
hepatitis A outbreak associated with frozen strawberries.

     The briefing will begin at 4 p.m. in Room 107-A of USDA's Jamie L.
Whitten Building, 1400 Independence Ave., S.W., Washington, D.C.

     There will be phone lines available to monitor the press briefing. 
Please call (404) 559-1161, pass code 1593#

                                #

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Access the USDA Home Page on the World Wide Web at http://www.usda.gov