Category Archives: Bacterial Toxin

RASFF Alert – Bacillus cereus Toxin – Turmeric

Posted on November 12, 2021 by | Leave a comment

RASFF

Salmonella Bareilly and Bacillus cereus (enterotoxin) in Tumeric from Bosnia and Herzegovina in Slovenia

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Posted in Bacillus, Bacillus cereus, Bacterial Toxin, Enterotoxin, food contamination, Food Hazard, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Pathogen, Food Poisoning, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Food Toxin

Research – Clostridial Neurotoxins: Structure, Function and Implications to Other Bacterial Toxins

Posted on October 30, 2021 by | Leave a comment

MDPI

Gram-positive bacteria are ancient organisms. Many bacteria, including Gram-positive bacteria, produce toxins to manipulate the host, leading to various diseases. While the targets of Gram-positive bacterial toxins are diverse, many of those toxins use a similar mechanism to invade host cells and exert their functions. Clostridial neurotoxins produced by Clostridial tetani and Clostridial botulinum provide a classical example to illustrate the structure–function relationship of bacterial toxins. Here, we critically review the recent progress of the structure–function relationship of clostridial neurotoxins, including the diversity of the clostridial neurotoxins, the mode of actions, and the flexible structures required for the activation of toxins. The mechanism clostridial neurotoxins use for triggering their activity is shared with many other Gram-positive bacterial toxins, especially molten globule-type structures. This review also summarizes the implications of the molten globule-type flexible structures to other Gram-positive bacterial toxins. Understanding these highly dynamic flexible structures in solution and their role in the function of bacterial toxins not only fills in the missing link of the high-resolution structures from X-ray crystallography but also provides vital information for better designing antidotes against those toxins. View Full-Text

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Posted in Bacterial Toxin, Biotoxin, Clostridium, Clostridium botulinum, Clostridium difficile, Clostridium perfringens, Clostridium Sulphite Reducer, Enterotoxin, Exotoxin, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, microbial contamination, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Research, Sulphite Reducing Clostridia

Russia – Botulism increase reported in Tatarstan

Posted on September 27, 2021 by | Leave a comment

Outbreak News Today

kswfoodworld

The head of the territorial department of the Rospotrebnadzor Administration for the Republic of Tatarstan, Irina Khairullina said twelve botulism cases have been reported this year in the districts of Almetyevsky, Zainsky, Leninogorsky and Sarmanovsky. This compares with two botulism cases reported in the previous two years.

Khairullina notes, 10 people got sick while eating homemade smoked fish, while 2 people associate their disease with the consumption of smoked goose meat, bought from unknown persons in places of unauthorized trade.

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Posted in Bacterial Toxin, Clostridium, Clostridium botulinum, Enterotoxin, food bourne outbreak, food contamination, Food Hazard, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Pathogen, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Food Toxin, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, outbreak, Toxin

Research – Foodborne Botulism in Ukraine from 1955 to 2018

Posted on August 17, 2021 by | Leave a comment

Mary Anne Liebert

kswfoodworld

We aim to identify possible biological, social, and economic factors that could influence the prevalence of foodborne botulism (FB). The objective of this article is to assess epidemiological peculiarities of FB in Ukraine from 1955 to 2018 using national epidemiological surveillance data. This article presents an epidemiological descriptive population-based study of the epidemiology of FB using correlation analysis. From 1955 to 2018, 8614 cases of botulism were recorded in Ukraine causing 659 deaths. The distribution of types of botulism toxins is represented by type A (7.97%), B (59.64%), suspected as C (0.56%), E (25.47%), others (5.33%), and unidentified (1.04%). From 1990 to 2015, the rate correlation between Human Development Index (HDI) and incidence of botulism was −0.75 ± 0.20. Homemade canned meat and fish continue to be the leading causes of botulism in Ukraine. Cases related to commercial food were rare or absent, but in recent years (2017–2018), their percentage has increased to 32.56%. The HDI and botulism have an inverse mathematical correlation and predictable logical relationship: with an HDI increase, the incidence of FB decreased. In general, food botulism in Ukraine is related to traditional socioeconomic factors related to cultural food habits. In the face of declining living standards and uncertainty that food products will be physically or economically available, homemade preservation increases. Home food preservation is a major cause of botulism in Ukraine. The elimination of FB is possible in Ukraine only with the complete cessation of home canning and state control over the manufacture and sale of commercial canned products.

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Posted in Bacterial Toxin, Clostridium, Clostridium botulinum, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Toxin, microbial contamination, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Research, Toxin

USA – Clostridium perfringens is bug that hit South Peninsula Hospital in Anchorage Alaska

Posted on August 11, 2021 by | Leave a comment

Food Poison Journal

CDC Clost perf

Image CDC

Morgan Krakow of the Anchorage Daily News reported that Health officials have traced the source of a foodborne illness outbreak that sickened dozens of hospital workers in Homer to a single item, the Department of Health and Social Services said in a release Monday.

It was a Cubano sandwich, experts who investigated the incident think. In fact, it was probably the pulled pork inside of it, said Jeremy Ayers, section manager with the Food Safety and Sanitation Program within the Division of Environmental Health.

When investigating an outbreak, epidemiologists look at people’s symptoms and when they began. They start to form an idea of what dish was the likely offender. In this case a lot of signs pointed to the Cubano, Ayers said.

“[The] statistics that they came up with were pretty compelling that that sandwich was the implicated food item,” Ayers said.

Experts determined that the Homer incident likely involved a pathogen associated with cooked meat and poultry called Clostridium perfringens.

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Posted in Bacterial Toxin, Clostridium, Clostridium perfringens, Exotoxin, food bourne outbreak, food contamination, Food Hazard, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Pathogen, Food Poisoning, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Food Toxin, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, outbreak, Poisoning, Toxin

Ukraine- Botulism case reported in Melitopol, Ukraine, Linked to smoked mackerel

Posted on June 28, 2021 by | Leave a comment

Outbreak News Today

kswfoodworld

On June 21, 2021, a case of botulism – food poisoning was registered in Melitopol- a city in Zaporizhzhia Oblast of southeastern Ukraine, according to the city health department.

The patient is a 65-year-old man who bought cold-smoked mackerel in a retail chain and consumed it himself on June 18-19, 2021.

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Posted in Bacterial Toxin, Biotoxin, botulism, Clostridium botulinum, Exotoxin, food contamination, Food Hazard, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Pathogen, Food Poisoning, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Food Toxin, Toxin

USA – Morse’s Sauerkraut worker sick with E. coli – source unknown – STEC E.coli

Posted on May 18, 2021 by | Leave a comment

Food Poison Journal

The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Maine CDC) has identified a case of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) infection in a Waldoboro food service worker, according to a Monday evening news release.

The individual handled deli food at Morse’s Sauerkraut in Waldoboro while infectious from April 1 through May 13.

An assessment of the individual’s illness determined that patrons of Morse’s Sauerkraut may be at risk for STEC infection, the Maine CDC announced.

Individuals who purchased deli items from Morse’s Sauerkraut between April 1 and May 13 should watch for symptoms of infection, such as severe stomach cramps, diarrhea (often bloody), and vomiting.

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Posted in Bacterial Toxin, Exotoxin, food contamination, Food Hazard, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Pathogen, Food Poisoning, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Food Toxin, STEC, STEC E.coli

France – Product recall: Karma Botanik Aloe Ginger Lemon brand Karma – Bacillus cereus

Posted on April 26, 2021 by | Leave a comment

Oulah

Product recall: Karma Botanik Aloe Ginger Lemon brand Karma

ENCOUNTERED PROBLEM

Evidence of development of Bacillus cereus

PROPOSED SOLUTION

Do not consume and destroy or return to point of sale for reimbursement.

Food poisoning caused by Bacillus cereus results in either diarrhea often accompanied by abdominal pain, nausea and sometimes fever occurring within 8 to 16 hours after ingestion of the contaminated food, or vomiting occurring within 5 hours. hours after consumption. These symptoms may be worsened in sensitive or immunocompromised people.

FURTHER INFORMATION

▸ Model names or references
Karma Botanik Aloe Ginger Lemon 75 cL

▸ Barcode
3760192492768

▸ DDM
• 01/18/2022
• 01/19/2022
• 09/10/2022

▸ Source
https://rappel.conso.gouv.fr/

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Posted in Bacillus, Bacillus cereus, Bacterial Toxin, food contamination, Food Hazard, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Pathogen, Food Poisoning, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Food Toxin

Research – Effect of food matrix type on growth characteristics and hemolysin production of Vibrio alginolyticus

Posted on April 18, 2021 by | Leave a comment

Journal of Food Protection

Food Illness

The growth and hemolysin production of two V.   alginolyticus  strains (HY9901 and ATCC17749T) at 30 °C in briny tilapia, shrimp, scallop, oyster, pork, chicken, freshwater fish and egg fried rice were investigated. Bacterial counts were enumerated by plate counting. Hemolysin production was evaluated by blood agar and hemolytic titer tests. The two V.   alginolyticus  strains displayed similar growth and hemolysin production patterns in the foods. Based on the goodness of fit primary model statistics (R 2 , MSE, BF, AF), the modified Gompertz model was a better fit to V.   alginolyticus  growth in foods than the logistic model. Growth kinetic parameters of V.   alginolyticus  displayed a higher μ max and shorter λ in briny tilapia > shrimp > freshwater fish > egg fried rice > scallop > oyster > chicken > pork. It was notable that the V.   alginolyticus  counts were similar at the stationary phase, with no significant growth behavior difference between raw and cooked foods. Significantly higher (p < 0.05) thermostable direct hemolysin (TDH) activity was produced by V.   alginolyticus  in briny tilapia > freshwater fish > shrimp > chicken > egg fried rice > scallop > oyster > pork. But the hemolytic titer was not consistent with the TDH activity, being significantly higher (p < 0.05) in briny tilapia > egg fried rice > shrimp > freshwater fish > chicken > scallop > oyster > pork. Contrary to current belief, V.   alginolyticus  displayed a higher hemolysin production in some non-seafoods (freshwater fish, egg fried rice and chicken) than in scallop or oyster. This is the first report of growth and toxicity of V. alginolyticus  in different food matrices and confirmation that some non-seafood contaminated with V. alginolyticus  can be even more pathogenic. This study will enhance the awareness of non-seafood safety and improve the V.   alginolyticus  risk assessment accuracy.

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Posted in Bacterial Toxin, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Toxin, Marine Biotoxin, microbial contamination, Microbiology, Research, Toxin, Vibrio, Vibrio alginolyticus

RASFF Alert – Vibrio parahaemolyticus – Frozen Whole Raw Giant Tiger Shrimps

Posted on April 9, 2021 by | 1 comment

European Food Alerts

RASFF

Vibrio parahaemolyticus (ToxR+ Tdh+ /25g) in frozen whole raw giant tiger shrimps (Penaeus monodon) from Vietnam in France

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Posted in Bacterial Toxin, food contamination, Food Hazard, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Pathogen, Food Poisoning, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Toxin, RASFF, Toxin, Vibrio, Vibrio parahaemolyticus