Hepatitis A Cases Rise to 17 in Virginia: Linked to Tropical Smoothie Cafe

The number of Hepatitis A cases in Virginia connected to consuming strawberry smoothies at Tropical Smoothie Cafe has increased and now stands at 17 cases reported, the Virginia Department of Health reported Tuesday.

Individuals who consumed a smoothie from a Tropical Smoothie Cafe in Virginia, on Aug. 5, 6, 7 or 8 may still benefit from vaccine or immune globulin to prevent hepatitis A, according to the health department. The smoothies were made with frozen strawberries from Egypt that were tainted, health officials said.

Of those cases, four of them are in the Northern Virginia suburbs.

Here is the breakdown by location:

• Northern: 4
• Northwest: 4
• Eastern: 5
• Central: 4
• Southwest: 0

The Northern Health District includes Alexandria, Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun and Prince William counties. Officials did not pinpoint the location of the cases, other than to report the health districts.

Tropical Smoothie Cafe has many locations in the Northern Virginia area, including in Ashburn, Reston, Oakton, Dunn Loring, Falls Church, Arlington, Alexandria, Leesburg and Fredericksburg.

Tropical Smoothie Cafe conducted a voluntary product withdrawal of all strawberries sourced from Egypt and found an alternate supply, the health department said.

See your doctor right away if you think you have been in contact with the hepatitis A virus, the Health Department advises. A dose of the hepatitis A vaccine or a medicine called hepatitis A immune globulin may protect you from getting sick if taken shortly after coming into contact with the hepatitis A virus, according to the department.

Hepatitis A signs and symptoms, which typically don't appear until you've had the virus for a few weeks, may include, according to the Mayo Clinic:

• Fatigue
• Nausea and vomiting
• Abdominal pain or discomfort, especially in the area of your liver on your right side beneath your lower ribs
• Clay-colored bowel movements
• Loss of appetite
• Low-grade fever
• Dark urine
• Joint pain
• Yellowing of the skin and eyes (jaundice)

If you have hepatitis A, you may have a mild illness that lasts a few weeks or a severe illness that lasts several months, the Mayo Clinic advises. Not everyone with hepatitis A develops signs or symptoms.

Hepatitis A is a virus or infection that causes liver disease and inflammation of the liver. Viruses can cause organs to not work properly, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.

Read more here about Hepatitis A from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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