Dozens sickened by hepatitis A outbreak linked to frozen strawberries

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed Wednesday that frozen strawberries imported from Egypt are the cause of an outbreak of hepatitis A spanning six states. The outbreak was initially traced to smoothies from certain Tropical Smoothie Café restaurants, but upon further investigation, the CDC deduced that the imported berries in the smoothies were the cause.

An estimated 55 people people have gotten sick, with the majority of those cases in Virginia, where the outbreak originated. "About half" of the 44 people infected in Virginia have been hospitalized because of the viral liver infection, CNN reported.

Because hepatitis A has a long incubation period, the CDC predicted that still more people will begin experiencing symptoms, which include jaundice, fever, fatigue, and nausea. Though highly contagious, hepatitis A does not cause any chronic illness.

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