Category Archives: Cryptosporidium

UK -UKHSA issue warning as infections rise in East of England

Posted on May 30, 2023 | Leave a comment

EDP 24

Families visiting farms and petting zoos this summer are being urged to protect themselves following a rise in infections.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has issued a warning about gastrointestinal infections such as salmonella, cryptosporidium and e.coli.

They can all be passed from farm animals to humans, causing illness.

There have already been 92 cases of cryptosporidium in the east of England so far this year, 14 more than in all of 2022.

So the UKHSA is urging anyone visiting a farm to remember the importance of thoroughly and frequently washing hands to avoid getting the bugs, which can make you seriously ill.

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Posted in Cryptosporidium, E.coli, gastroenteritis, Gastrointestinal Infection, Salmonella, UKHSA

UK – 50 sick in Cryptosporidium outbreak linked to farm

Posted on May 24, 2023 | Leave a comment

Food Safety News

water contamination

Fifty cases of Cryptosporidium have been traced to a farm on an island off the south coast of England.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA)’s South East branch has tried to contact people who visited Hazelgrove Farm from April to the start of May on the Isle of Wight.

People are thought to have become sick after coming into contact with animals. The farm halted animal petting activity in early May.

No ongoing risk
Dr. Anand Fernandes, the health protection consultant for UKHSA South East, said there is no ongoing risk to the public associated with the farm.

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Posted in Contaminated water, Cryptosporidiosis, Cryptosporidium, food bourne outbreak, Food Illness, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, Foodborne Illness, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Illness, microbial contamination, Microbial growth, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology Investigations, Microbiology Risk, outbreak, water microbiology, Water Safety

Ireland – Limerick boil water notice may be in place until December – Cryptosporidium

Posted on May 24, 2023 | Leave a comment

Live95 FM

Councillors found out today that the boil water notice affecting 7000 customers in Limerick may be in place until December.

In the first fifteen minutes of today’s Limerick City and County Council meeting, two councillors walked out in protest. 

Councillor Adam Teskey and Councillor Emmet O’Brien wanted to discuss the boil water notice, which came into force last week.

The notice affects people in Askeaton, Foynes, Ballyhahill, Kildimo, Pallaskenry and surrounding areas.

Speaking to Live 95 just after they left the chamber, Cllr Teskey said the cryptosporidium in the water is a major health concern.

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Posted in Boil Water Notice, Contaminated water, Cryptosporidiosis, Cryptosporidium, Water, water microbiology, Water Safety

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

Posted on May 22, 2023 | Leave a comment

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.

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Posted in Brucella melitensis, Campylobacter, Coxiella burnetii, Cryptosporidium, Decontamination Microbial, E.coli, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, Listeria, microbial contamination, Microbial growth, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Microbiology Risk, Raw Milk

Ireland – 7,000 consumers affected by Limerick water supply boil notice – Cryptosporidium

Posted on May 17, 2023 | Leave a comment

Limerick Post

A BOIL water notice affecting 7,000 consumers served by the Foynes/Shannon Estuary Public Water Supply has been issued by Uisce Éireann after cryptosporidium was found in the treatment plant.

The notice, which was issued  following consultation with the Health Service Executive (HSE), affects customers in Askeaton, Foynes, Ballyhahill, Loghill, Ballysteen, Pallaskenry, Kildimo and Shanagolden and surrounding areas.

All consumers affected by the notice must boil their water before drinking, preparing uncooked food, brushing teeth and making ice.

Operations Lead Duane O’Brien said Uisce Éireann acknowledged the impact of the notice on the communities affected and regrets the inconvenience to impacted customers.

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Posted in Boil Water Notice, Contaminated water, Cryptosporidiosis, Cryptosporidium, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology Blog, microbial contamination, Microbial growth, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Microbiology Risk, Water, water microbiology, Water Safety

Research – Norway records rise in outbreaks in 2022

Posted on May 11, 2023 | Leave a comment

Food Safety News

The number of outbreaks and people sick in them in 2022 went up from the year before, based on new data from Norway.

A total of 34 foodborne outbreaks were reported in 2022, which is up from 23 and 25 outbreaks in 2020 and 2021 but lower than the 46 outbreaks in 2019.

Overall, 628 people were sick this past year with the largest incident affecting 100 people, according to a report published by the Norwegian Institute of Public Health (FHI). In the 25 outbreaks in 2021, 327 patients were recorded.

Eight norovirus outbreaks sickened 135 people in 2022. Five outbreaks with 148 cases were caused by Salmonella. Cryptosporidium and Yersinia were behind three each with 14 and 51 patients, respectively.

Ten people were sick in two Listeria outbreaks. One Campylobacter outbreak had six patients and one E. coli event affected seven people. The agent was unknown for 11 outbreaks with 257 cases.

Most foodborne outbreaks were reported in connection with restaurants, cafes and other catering establishments.

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Posted in Cryptosporidiosis, Cryptosporidium, E.coli, food bourne outbreak, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, Norovirus, outbreak, Salmonella, Yersinia

Canada – Critter Barn in Zeeland voluntarily closing for week after parasite outbreak

Posted on May 4, 2023 | 4 comments

Holland Sentinel

ZEELAND — Critter Barn in Zeeland is voluntarily closing for the week in response to an outbreak of a parasite, the nonprofit announced Tuesday, May 2.

More: Parasite infects three Critter Barn volunteers

Critter Barn at 2950 80th Ave. will clean, scrub and disinfect its farm as an extra measure of precaution, it wrote, expecting to reopen Tuesday, May 9.

The Ottawa County Department of Public Health told WOOD TV-8 on Friday, April 28, there have been eight confirmed cases and three probable cases of Cryptosporidium, a parasite commonly found in water and near farm animals, traced back to Critter Barn. No one has been hospitalized, according to the health department.

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Posted in Contaminated water, Cryptosporidiosis, Cryptosporidium, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology Blog, microbial contamination, Microbial growth, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Microbiology Risk, Water, water microbiology, Water Safety

Research – Cryptosporidiosis threat under climate change in China: prediction and validation of habitat suitability and outbreak risk for human-derived Cryptosporidium based on ecological niche models

Posted on April 15, 2023 | Leave a comment

IDP Journal

Cryptosporidiosis is a zoonotic intestinal infectious disease caused by Cryptosporidium spp., and its transmission is highly influenced by climate factors. In the present study, the potential spatial distribution of Cryptosporidium in China was predicted based on ecological niche models for cryptosporidiosis epidemic risk warning and prevention and control.

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Posted in Contaminated water, Cryptosporidiosis, Cryptosporidium, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology Blog, microbial contamination, Microbial growth, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Microbiology Risk, water microbiology, Water Safety

Research – Major pathogens rise in Ireland in 2022

Posted on April 5, 2023 | Leave a comment

Food Safety News

Campylobacter, Salmonella, E. coli, and Listeria infections all increased in Ireland in 2022, according to the latest figures.

Data from the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC), which is part of the Health Service Executive (HSE), shows the number of reports for the four pathogens rose compared to 2021.

Notifications of Salmonellosis doubled and the number of E. coli infections passed 1,000.

Full reports on these four pathogens and for outbreaks have not been published since 2018 because of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic response and limited capacity at HPSC.

Campylobacter infections went up from 3,147 in 2021 to 3,619 in 2022.

Salmonella cases doubled from 173 in 2021 to 342 in 2022 but this is similar to 2018 and 2019 levels.

More than 1,000 Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) notifications were noted. Up from 962 in 2021.

A total of 18 listeriosis cases were recorded, up from 15 in 2021. Fourteen were men and four were women. Fifteen cases were in the over-65 age group while two were less than 1 to 4 years old.

Figures also show three cases of Bacillus cereus foodborne infection or intoxication compared to none in 2021.

The published data, which covers 2018 to 2022, reveals two cases of botulism, although it is unclear if food was the cause. There was also one report of brucellosis in 2022. All other years reported no notifications of these diseases.

There were 17 yersiniosis cases in 2022 compared to 18 in 2021. Cryptosporidiosis declined from 845 in 2021 to 566 in 2022.

Shigellosis went up from 70 in 2021 to 157 in 2022. Norovirus also increased from 439 in 2021 to 990 in 2022.

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Posted in botulism, Brucellosis, Campylobacter, Cryptosporidium, E.coli, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, Listeria, microbial contamination, Microbial growth, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Microbiology Risk, Norovirus, Salmonella, Shigella, Yersinia

Ireland – Mayo’s Clare Island Hit with Cryptosporidium in Public Water Supply

Posted on March 29, 2023 | Leave a comment

Afloat.ie

Mayo’s Clare island has been hit with a “boil water” notice after the detection of cryptosporidium in the public water supply.

The “boil water” notice takes immediate effect, Uisce Éireann (Irish Water) and Mayo Council have said.

This follows consultation with the Health Service Executive (HSE) to protect the health of approximately 160 people on the island’s public water supply scheme.

The two bodies have said they are “working to implement solutions to lift the notice as quickly and as safely as possible in consultation with the HSE”.

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Posted in Boil Water Notice, Contaminated water, Cryptosporidiosis, Cryptosporidium, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Testing, microbial contamination, Microbial growth, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Microbiology Risk, Protozoan, water microbiology, Water Safety