After Tropical Smoothie Cafe was linked to a Hepatitis A outbreak that has sickened at least 17 people in Virginia, CEO Mike Rotondo apologized to customers on a video posted on the company’s website. Health officials say the source of the outbreak was frozen strawberries imported from Egypt.
Another Hawaiian Airlines flight attendant has tested positive for hepatitis A, according to the Hawaii State Department of Health. Anyone who traveled on the flights where that person worked may have been exposed to the virus.
The hepatitis A outbreak associated with Tropical Smoothie Cafe products in Virginia has now sickened at least 17 people, according to the Virginia Department of Health. The outbreak has been linked to strawberries imported from Egypt that were used in smoothies.
According to the Virginia Department of Health, there have been 23 confirmed cases of hepatitis A linked to frozen strawberries used at Tropical Smoothie Cafes across Virginia.
This includes four cases in Central Virginia. There are seven is Northern Virginia, four in Northwest Virginia, and eight in the eastern region on the state.
The Hawaii Department of Health (HDOH) is continuing to investigate a cluster of hepatitis A infections in the state.
On August 15, 2016, HDOH identified raw scallops served at Genki Sushi restaurants on Oahu and Kauai as a likely source of the ongoing outbreak. The product of concern is Sea Port Bay Scallops (Wild Harvest, Raw Frozen) that originated in the Philippines (states “Product of the Philippines” on the box), distributed by Koha Oriental Foods and True World Foods. As a result, HDOH ordered this product embargoed (not to be sold, purchased, or consumed) throughout the state, and the temporary closure of all Genki Sushi restaurants on Oahu and Kauai. The scallops received by True World Foods have not been distributed to any restaurants in the state, and were embargoed at their warehouse. The scallops served at Genki locations on the Big Island and Maui originated from a different supplier and have not been associated with the outbreak.
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