Category Archives: Campylobacter

Research – Food poisoning can be passed on through sex -Campylobacter

New Telegraph

Interesting headline as Campylobacter is not a food poisoning organism.

Researchers in the United States (U.S.) have found that Campylobacter infection, the most common foodborne illness in the Western world, can also be spread through sexual contact. To this end, the researchers from the University of Oklahoma had called on doctors to talk to their patients about risks associated with sexual contact amid a bout of food poisoning. Some Campylobacter species can infect humans, sometimes causing campylobacteriosis, a diarrhoeal disease in humans. While campylobacter infection was rarely serious, it can cause vomiting and diarrhoea, and can pose an additional risk for people with underlying health conditions. In the study, the team set out to understand whether Campylobacter infection can be spread through sexual contact. Dr. Katrin Kuhn, who led the study, said: “This research is important for public health messaging and for physicians as they talk to their patients about risks associated with sexual contact. “Although Campylobacter infection is usually not a serious disease, it causes diarrhoea, which can result in people missing work, losing productivity or perhaps losing their job.”

Researchers estimate Campylobacter costs in Germany

Food Safety News

Campylobacter infection and related illness is associated with a substantial economic burden in Germany, according to a study.

Researchers analyzed the use of health care and direct and indirect costs of Campylobacter and care-intensive long-lasting health issues of patients from health insurance data with 26 million members in Germany.

Claims data of insurants with at least one Campylobacter diagnosis in 2017 were provided, of which 9,945 were included in the analysis published in the journal Plos One.

This showed a lower rate of Campylobacter diagnoses than German surveillance data for 2017 but with similar age, gender, and regional distribution. According to both the surveillance and claims data, rates were lowest in the 5 to 14 age group and highest for females aged 20 to 24.

Some people developed post-infectious reactive arthritis, Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS), inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), and/or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

RASFF Alert – Campylobacter – Chicken Inner Breast Fillet

RASFF

Salmonella spp., Campylobacter spp. in chicken inner breast fillet from Romania in Hungary

Research – Austria reveals results showing pathogens in raw milk and meat

Food Safety News

Recent controls in Austria have found Campylobacter in raw milk, Salmonella in chicken, and Hepatitis E in raw pork liver.

Earlier this year, a campaign checked raw milk from vending machines for germs and residues of cleaning agents.

The Austria Agency for Health and Food Safety (AGES) said that raw milk could contain pathogens despite hygiene measures during milking. The advice is to boil it before drinking. For products sold directly to consumers via vending machines or in the farm shop, the note: “Raw milk, boil before consumption” must be present.

Sixty samples from across Austria were examined and 23 were rejected. Overall, 21 did not comply because the total bacterial count was too high. One sample was contaminated with Campylobacter. Two samples were non-compliant because of a lack of information on the vending machine about boiling the product.

Raw milk from vending machines had been examined for microbiological quality in two previous campaigns in 2017 and 2020. In these actions, milk from 112 different farms was checked. Samples from 40 companies were non-compliant, including five firms on two occasions.

USA – Missoula County Health Officials issue warning about raw milk following possible Coxiella burnetii exposure

Food Poison Journal

Following potential exposure to bacteria from unpasteurized milk sold at a farmers’ market in Missoula County, the Missoula City-County Health Department is warning residents of the dangers of consuming unpasteurized, or “raw,” milk.

Milk that was recently sold at a local farmers market came from a herd where two cows tested positive for Coxiella burnetii, which is the bacteria that causes Q fever. While one of those cows had not yet produced milk, the other produced about 10% of the farmer’s yield.

“We don’t know if the cow was shedding the bacteria at the time it was milked, or if that cow’s milk was sold at the farmers market,” said Environmental Health Director Shannon Therriault. “So, we can’t say for sure whether anyone was exposed. However, what we do know is that unpasteurized milk can contain harmful bacteria that can make you and your loved ones sick.”

Unpasteurized milk products have been linked to outbreaks of E. coli, campylobacter, salmonella, brucella, listeria and cryptosporidium. In the case of Q fever, symptoms can take two or three weeks to present following exposure. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, symptoms of Q fever include fever, chills, fatigue, headache, muscle aches, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, chest pain, stomach pain, weight loss and a non-productive cough.

RASFF Alert- Campylobacter – Besos Fuet

RASFF

Campylobacter in Besos Fuet from Spain in the Netherlands

Research – German testing finds Listeria and E. coli in raw milk

Food Safety News

Listeria and E. coli have been found during testing of unpasteurized, raw milk from farms in Germany.

From 2020 to 2022, the Chemical and Veterinary Investigation Office (CVUA) in Stuttgart tested 54 raw milk samples from vending machines for a range of agents.

Parameters examined included somatic cell count, total germ count, spoilage organisms, hygiene indicator germs such as Enterobacteriaceae and E. coli, and pathogens like Salmonella, Listeria, Campylobacter, and Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC).

The sale of raw milk is mostly prohibited but it can be sold directly on the farm via self-service vending machines. The producers should put up notices telling the consumers to boil raw milk before consumption.

Some findings were positive as 30 samples were compliant but 24 had issues. Results highlight the importance of regular cleaning of milking machines, pipes, and tanks at dairy farms, said scientists. Insufficient cooling can also lead to contamination of raw milk.

USA – Raw Farm Raw Milk Recalled in California For Campylobacter

Food Poisoning Bulletin

Raw Farm raw milk is being recalled in California for possible Campylobacter contamination. The milk is produced and packaged by Raw Farm, LLC of Fresno County, California. No illnesses have been reported to date in connection with the consumption of this unpasteurized milk. The farm is located at 7221 South Jameson Avenue in Fresno.

The recall and quarantine order was announced by California State Veterinarian Dr. Annette Jones after Campylobacter was found in the farm’s packaged whole raw milk. The milk was sampled and tested by the California Department of Food and Agriculture. Routine sampling conducted at the farm found the pathogen.

The recalled product is Raw Farm Whole Raw Milk that is packaged in half gallon (64 ounce) and gallon (128 ounce) plastic jugs. The code date that is marked on the container is BEST BY 05/05/2023.

USA- CDC – BEAM Dashboard – (Bacteria, Enterics, Amoeba, and Mycotics)

CDC

The BEAM (Bacteria, Enterics, Amoeba, and Mycotics) Dashboard is an interactive tool to access and visualize data from the System for Enteric Disease Response, Investigation, and Coordination (SEDRIC). The BEAM Dashboard provides timely data on pathogen trends and serotype details to inform work to prevent illnesses from food and animal contact. Currently, the dashboard focuses on data for Salmonella, Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC), Shigella and Campylobacter bacteria and multistate outbreaks, but it will eventually include additional pathogens, antimicrobial resistance data, and epidemiologic data from outbreak investigations.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

For additional questions, please contact simso@cdc.gov. Please take BEAM Dashboard Evaluation Survey if you would like to provide any feedback or have any comments.

Research – Researchers explore probiotics to control Campylobacter

Feedstuffs

On-farm control measures are required to mitigate the risk of the bacteria being transmitted to humans working with poultry and people who visit poultry farms. Abdelaziz’s lab is studying the impact of inoculating eggs (in-ovo) with probiotics on gut health and immune system development of broilers before they hatch.

Probiotics are live bacteria, fungi, or yeasts that help poultry maintain healthy digestive systems. They are increasingly being included in poultry diets as alternatives to antibiotics. Abdelaziz and his team believe in-ovo technology can be used to deliver probiotics to chicken embryos and help boost chicks’ immune systems before they hatch.

During their investigation, Abdelaziz and his team have found certain probiotics (lactobacilli) applied in-ovo to chick embryos increased immune-related genes in the chicks’ guts which could promote healthy immune systems of chick embryos. Future studies will investigate whether Lactobacillus-induced immune responses protect against harmful microorganisms after chicks hatch.