Another state and 18 more people are now included in a Hepatitis A outbreak linked to frozen, imported strawberries served in smoothies, bringing the totals to six states and 69 victims.
Additional victims of a Hepatitis A outbreak linked to imported, frozen scallops served raw in Hawaii continue to be identified, with state officials reporting 241 people now confirmed with infections.
In the past week, 13 more people have been confirmed, according to the Hawaii Department of Health’s weekly update posted on Wednesday. Slightly more than one-fourth of the victims — 64 — have had symptoms so severe that they required hospitalization. Onset of the illnesses ranges from June 12 through Aug. 25.
The Hepatitis A strain linked to Tropical Smoothie Cafe outbreak is packing a wallop. Generally, about 20 percent of people with a Hepatitis A infection require hospitalization, in this outbreak, the hospitalization rate is 46 percent.
The outbreak has been linked to frozen strawberries imported from Egypt which were removed from all store locations on August 9, according to the company. But because Hepatitis A has an incubation that can take up to 50 days, new cases are still being reported. So far, 81 cases in seven states have been confirmed: Maryland (6), New York (1), North Carolina (1), Oregon (1), Virgina(66), West Virginia (5), and Wisconsin (1).
FoodWorld 