Category Archives: Cryptosporidium

USA -FDA – Investigations of Foodborne Illness Outbreaks

Posted on August 31, 2023 by | Leave a comment

FDA

What’s New

  • A new outbreak of Salmonella Newport (ref # 1179) linked to a not yet identified product has been added to the table. FDA has initiated traceback.
  • A new outbreak of Cryptosporidium (ref #1174) linked to a not yet identified product has been added to the table. To date, all 11 cases in this outbreak are in Minnesota (MN). FDA is assisting Minnesota Department of Health and Minnesota Department of Agriculture in this investigation and has initiated traceback. While the investigation is ongoing to determine what product made people sick, the outbreak appears to be over and there is likely no ongoing risk to consumers. Additional information will be provided as it becomes available.
Date
Posted		 Ref Pathogen
or
Cause of
Illness		 Product(s)
Linked to
Illnesses
(if any)		 Total
Case
Count
Status
8/30/2023 1179 Salmonella
Newport		 Not Yet
Identified		 8 Active
8/30/2023 1174 Cryptosporidiums Not Yet
Identified		 11 Active
8/9/2023 1172 Listeria
monocytogenes		 Ice Cream See
Advisory		 Active
7/6/2023 1163 Cyclospora
cayetanensis		 Not Yet
Identified		 140 Active
6/14/2023 1159 Cyclospora
cayetanensis		 Not Yet
Identified		 72 Active
3/1/2023 1143 Hepatitis
A Virus		 Frozen
Strawberries		 See
Advisory		 Active

Leave a comment

Posted in Cryptosporidiosis, Cryptosporidium, FDA, food bourne outbreak, Food Illness, Foodborne Illness, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Illness, outbreak, Salmonella

Research – Waterborne Infectious Diseases Associated with Exposure to Tropical Cyclonic Storms, United States, 1996–2018

Posted on August 6, 2023 by | Leave a comment

CDC

Abstract

In the United States, tropical cyclones cause destructive flooding that can lead to adverse health outcomes. Storm-driven flooding contaminates environmental, recreational, and drinking water sources, but few studies have examined effects on specific infections over time. We used 23 years of exposure and case data to assess the effects of tropical cyclones on 6 waterborne diseases in a conditional quasi-Poisson model. We separately defined storm exposure for windspeed, rainfall, and proximity to the storm track. Exposure to storm-related rainfall was associated with a 48% (95% CI 27%–69%) increase in Shiga toxin–producing Escherichia coli infections 1 week after storms and a 42% (95% CI 22%–62%) in increase Legionnaires’ disease 2 weeks after storms. Cryptosporidiosis cases increased 52% (95% CI 42%–62%) during storm weeks but declined over ensuing weeks. Cyclones are a risk to public health that will likely become more serious with climate change and aging water infrastructure systems.

Leave a comment

Posted in Contaminated water, Cryptosporidiosis, Cryptosporidium, E.coli, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Testing, Legionella, Legionnaires’ disease, microbial contamination, Microbial growth, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Microbiology Risk, STEC, STEC E.coli, Water, water microbiology, Water Safety

Ireland – Boil notice an ongoing risk for the immunocompromised in West Limerick -Cryptosporidium

Posted on July 31, 2023 by | Leave a comment

Limerick Post

LIMERICK residents who are at risk by being immunocompromised may be waiting months before they can shower in their own homes.

“Months” is how long Uisce Éireann says it may be until it can put a new treatment system in place to deal with cryptosporidium (a parasite found in human and animal faeces) found in the water supply at the Shannon Estuary Water Treatment Plant, which has seen a boil notice enforced in the area since May.

Affected households have been told that the water is safe to drink and to use to brush teeth if boiled, but medical experts warn that while infection can cause healthy people to become mildly ill, it can lead to a life-threatening illness for people with weak immune systems.

Leave a comment

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

Denmark – Record number of finds of diarrhea-causing parasite in humans – Cryptosporidium

Posted on July 21, 2023 by | Leave a comment

SSI

water contamination

Around 800 Danes were diagnosed last year as being infected with a small single-celled intestinal parasite, Cryptosporidium, which can cause severe diarrhoea, abdominal pain, exhaustion and possibly nausea.

The many cases are a significant increase compared to previous years. The reason for the many new findings is probably primarily due to the introduction of more systematic analyzes of faecal samples at the clinical microbiology departments at the hospitals in Slagelse, Odense, Herlev and Aalborg.

“Cryptosporidium thus appears to be much more common in the population than we previously assumed. And this means that we have a diverse population of parasites whose sources and routes of infection are currently poorly understood. It is not a notifiable disease, but we follow the development through the samples that we receive,” says Rune Stensvold, senior researcher, Dept. Bacteria, parasites and fungi, Statens Serum Institut.

If you get sick from Crytosporidiosis it can last for a few weeks, but usually goes away on its own eventually, and is generally harmless.

In the past, sources of infection have been found among calves, but humans can also be infected via rodents. There are no vaccines against the parasite.

Leave a comment

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

Research – Bromine and Chlorine Disinfection of Cryptosporidium parvum Oocysts, Bacillus atrophaeus Spores, and MS2 Coliphage in Water

Posted on June 9, 2023 by | Leave a comment

Pubs Acs Org

Abstract

Abstract Image

Conventional water treatment practices utilizing chemical disinfection, especially chlorination, are considered generally effective in producing microbiologically safe drinking water. However, protozoan pathogens such as oocysts of Cryptosporidium parvum are very resistant to chlorine, which has led to consideration of alternative disinfectants for their control. Free bromine, HOBr, has not been evaluated extensively as an alternative halogen disinfectant for inactivation of Cryptosporidium parvum in drinking water or reclaimed water for non-potable uses. Bromine is a versatile disinfectant consisting of different chemical forms with persistent microbicidal efficacy under varied water quality conditions and is effective against a range of waterborne microbes of health concern. The objectives of this study are to (1) compare the efficacy of free bromine to free chlorine at similar concentrations (as milligrams per liter) for disinfection of Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts, Bacillus atrophaeus spores, and MS2 coliphage in a model buffered water and (2) evaluate the kinetics of inactivation of these microorganisms using appropriate disinfection models. Overall, at a target concentration of ∼5 mg/L, bromine averaged 0.6 log (73.8%) reductions of C. parvum oocyst infectivity after 300 min (CT: 1166 min·mg/L) and produced up to a 0.8 log reduction disinfectant activity. An ∼5.0 mg/L chlorine dose increased oocyst infectivity by only 0.4 log (64%) after 300 min (CT: 895 min·mg/L). Bacillus atrophaeus spores and MS2 coliphage treated with bromine and chlorine were reduced by 4 log10 (99.99%) for both disinfectants over the duration of the experiments.

Leave a comment

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

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

Posted on May 30, 2023 by | 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.

Leave a comment

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

UK – 50 sick in Cryptosporidium outbreak linked to farm

Posted on May 24, 2023 by | 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.

Leave a comment

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 by | 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.

Leave a comment

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 by | 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.

Leave a comment

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 by | 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.

Leave a comment

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