A Listeria monocytogenes outbreak has been announced by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Twenty-four people in 13 states are sick. Twenty-two people have been hospitalized, and two people have died.
KSWFoodWorld
USA – Listeria Monocytogenes Outbreak Announced; No Food Identified
Posted in food bourne outbreak, food contamination, food death, food handler, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Pathogen, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, foodborne disease, Foodborne Illness, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, Uncategorized
USA – P.F. Chang’s Worker with Hepatitis A
The Department of Health in Sarasota conducted an epidemiological investigation and determined a person working at P.F. Chang’s at 766 South Osprey in Sarasota from November 6-17 may have been infectious.
If you ate or drank at the restaurant between November 6-17, the Department of Health says the Hepatitis A vaccine may provide protection against the disease if given within two weeks after exposure.
USA- Romaine in the cross-hairs – FDA to test lettuce for pathogens
Image CDC
The FDA is conducting a small, focused assignment to collect samples of raw agricultural commodity (RAC) romaine lettuce to test for Salmonella spp. and pathogenic Escherichia coli (also known as Shiga Toxin-producing E. coli or STEC), microbial hazards repeatedly linked to foodborne illnesses associated with romaine lettuce consumption. The assignment begins this month (November 2019) and is expected to last one year.
USA – MD E. coli O157:H7 Outbreak Linked to Ready Pac Chicken Caesar Salad
A MD E. coli O157:H7 outbreak may be linked to Ready Pac Bistro® Bowl Chicken Caesar Salad that was purchased from several Sam’s Club locations in that state, according to the Maryland Health Department. Seven people are sick. One person has been hospitalized and no deaths have been reported.
The health department is recommending the consumers not eat Ready Pac Bistro® Bowl Chicken Caesar Salad. The lot number on the product is 255406963, and the best by date is October 31, 2019.
Posted in E.coli, E.coli O157, E.coli O157:H7, food bourne outbreak, food contamination, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Pathogen, Food Poisoning, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Food Toxin, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, outbreak, Uncategorized
USA – As many as 20 possible E. coli cases in Wisconsin – lettuce a suspect
According to press reports, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services is investigating what it calls a “significant increase” in the number of E. coli reports throughout the state.
Since November 13, officials say they are investigating 20 cases, three involving children. They say the cases are scattered across the state and are not isolated in any one region. The source remains a mystery. However, officials are treating it as an outbreak.
Posted in E.coli, food bourne outbreak, food contamination, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Pathogen, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, outbreak, Uncategorized
USA -Quest Beef Cat Food Recalled For Possible Salmonella
Go Raw, LLC is recalling its 2 pound frozen bags of Quest Beef Cat Food for possible Salmonella contamination. No illnesses have been reported to date in connection with this issue.
The Quest Beef Cat Food is sold in 2 pound bags, and has the UPC number UPC 6-91730-17101-8 with lot number N128. The Minnesota Department of Agriculture took a sample of the product and tested it for Salmonella; it tested positive.
The firm conducted its own test and it was negative. But, Salmonella may not be evenly distributed throughout the cat food, which is typical, which explains the discrepancy.
USA – Is Truong Phu Xanh Yellowfin Tuna Linked to Scombrotoxin Outbreak?
The FDA has released a notice about their investigation of Scombrotoxin fish poisoning that is linked to yellowfin tuna. As a result of this investigation, the government has placed Truong Phu Xanh Company of Vietnam on Import Alert, so the FDA field staff can detain the product without physical examination. This fish cannot enter the US unless the importer proves it meets U.S. food safety standards.
Research -First report of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in ready-to-eat sushi.
AIMS:The aim of this study was to evaluate the microbiological quality of commercially prepared ready-to-eat (RTE) sushi by enumerating aerobic mesophilic bacteria (AMB) and thermotolerant coliforms (TC) and detecting Escherichia coli and Salmonella ssp. An isolate was identified as E. coli O157:H7 which was evaluated for its virulence and antimicrobial resistance profiling as well as its ability to form biofilms on stainless steel. METHODS AND RESULTS:There were four sampling events in seven establishments, totalling 28 pools of sushi samples. Mean AMB counts ranged between 5·2 and 7·7 log CFU per gram. The enumeration of TC varied between 2·1 and 2·7 log MPN per gram. Salmonella ssp. were not detected, and one sample was positive for E. coli and was identified as E. coli O157:H7. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of E. coli O157:H7 in sushi samples in the world literature. This isolate presented virulence genes stx1, stx2, eae and hlyA. It was also susceptible to 14 antimicrobials tested and had the ability to form biofilms on stainless steel. CONCLUSIONS:There is a need to improve the good hygiene practices adopted in establishments selling sushi in the city of Pelotas, Brazil. In addition, the isolated E. coli O157:H7 carries a range of important virulence genes being a potential risk to consumer health, as sushi is a RTE food. This isolate also presents biofilm formation ability, therefore, may trigger a constant source of contamination in the production line of this food. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY:The increase in the consumption of sushi worldwide attracts attention regarding the microbiological point of view, since it is a ready-to-eat food. To our knowledge, this was the first time that E. coli O157:H7 was identified in sushi samples.
Posted in E.coli, E.coli O157, E.coli O157:H7, food contamination, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Pathogen, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Food Toxin, Research, Salmonella, STEC, STEC E.coli, Uncategorized
