Category Archives: Death

UK -FSA assesses the use of Listeria guidance after the outbreak

Posted on August 21, 2023 by | Leave a comment

Food Safety News

Most hospitals and social care sites are aware of Listeria guidance from the Food Standards Agency (FSA) but an analysis has found several challenges around implementation.

In a 2019 outbreak associated with pre-packed sandwiches supplied to hospitals in England, seven patients died of listeriosis.

Following this incident, the FSA said it would review its 2016 listeriosis guidance. The research was commissioned to look at awareness, implementation, and perceived effectiveness of the guidance, including barriers to implementing it in full.

The recent report covers findings from 39 respondents within National Health Service (NHS) Trusts and 445 from Health and Social Care (non-NHS Trust) settings, such as nursing homes, home care service providers and hospices, in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland.

An online survey was sent to all NHS Trusts in the three nations between November and December 2021. In the majority of cases, the survey was completed by the catering manager, who was responsible for food safety. IFF Research carried out the survey of non-NHS settings by telephone. Fieldwork took place in August and September 2022. IFF Research interviewed the person with overall responsibility for food safety — this was often the general manager.

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Posted in Death, food death, Foodborne Illness Death, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, outbreak

Spain sees E. coli and Listeria infections rise in 2022

Posted on August 21, 2023 by | Leave a comment

Food Safety News

Spain recorded an increase in E. coli and Listeria infections in 2022, according to recently released figures.

In 2022, 633 Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) infections were reported, as well as eight imported cases. This includes 620 confirmed and 13 probable cases. The number rose from 426 cases in 2021.

The highest incidences in 2022 were observed in children younger than 5 years of age, being higher in girls than in boys, according to data from the National Epidemiological Surveillance Network (RENAVE).

A total of 134 hospitalizations were reported and six people developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). HUS is a severe complication associated with E. coli infections that causes kidney failure. Four of these were younger than the age of 3, one was 10 years old, and the other was an 84-year-old adult.

Three deaths were recorded: one child younger than 3 years old who had HUS, and two adults aged 65 and 93.

For imported cases, two were younger than 10 years of age, and the rest were aged between 22 and 60.

Information on serogroup causing infection was available in 80 cases of which 67 corresponded to O157. One was O107, another was O128 and 11 were recorded as non-O157.

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Posted in Death, E.coli O128, E.coli O157, E.coli O157:H7, food death, Food Illness, Foodborne Illness, Foodborne Illness Death, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Illness, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, O107, outbreak, STEC, STEC E.coli

USA – Tacoma restaurant’s milkshakes linked to listeria outbreak that killed 3

Posted on August 21, 2023 by | Leave a comment

Komo News

OLYMPIA, Wash. — Listeria bacteria found in the milkshakes at a Tacoma restaurant have been linked by health officials to an outbreak that hospitalized six people and killed three.

According to the Washington State Department of Health (DOH), investigators found foodborne listeriosis in the ice cream machines at Frugals, located at 10727 Pacific Avenue South. The machines were not cleaned correctly, and no other Frugals restaurant are believed to be affected, the DOH said.

The Tacoma Frugals stopped using its ice cream machines on Aug. 8, but listeria can affect people up to 70 days later, the DOH said.

Genetic fingerprinting of bacteria in the shakes showed the same strain of listeria that hospitalized six people — five from Pierce County and one from Thurston County — between Feb. 27 and July 22, according to the DOH. All six had conditions that made their immune systems “less able to fight the disease,” the DOH said. Three of the six died, the DOH added, and two people who were hospitalized but survived said they ate the milkshakes before getting sick.

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Posted in Death, food death, Food Illness, Foodborne Illness, Foodborne Illness Death, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Illness, Listeria, Listeria Ice Cream, Listeria monocytogenes, outbreak

UK – Rare E. coli type behind deadly UK outbreak; 2 dozen sick – E.coli O183

Posted on August 2, 2023 by | Leave a comment

Food Safety News

One person has died in an E. coli outbreak being investigated by health authorities in the United Kingdom.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) and UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) are trying to find the source of the ongoing Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) O183 outbreak with the help of other public health agencies.

There are 24 cases in the UK, with 19 in England, two each in Northern Ireland and Scotland, and one in Wales since May. For patients with available information, onset dates range from May 23 to July 2.

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Posted in Death, Decontamination Microbial, E.coli O183, food bourne outbreak, food death, Food Illness, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, Foodborne Illness, Foodborne Illness Death, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Illness, microbial contamination, Microbial growth, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Microbiology Risk, outbreak

USA – Man dies after contracting flesh-eating bacteria from raw oysters – Vibrio vulnificus

Posted on June 21, 2023 by | Leave a comment

National Post

A Missouri man died after contracting a flesh-eating bacteria from eating raw oysters from a seafood stand, U.S. health officials said.

The 54-year-old man, whom authorities have not publicly identified, became infected after he ate oysters bought from The Fruit Stand & Seafood in Manchester, Mo., the St. Louis County Public Health Department said last week.

He died after being infected with the bacteria Vibrio vulnificus, which is contracted by consuming raw or undercooked oysters and other shellfish.

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Posted in Death, food death, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, Foodborne Illness Death, microbial contamination, Microbial growth, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Microbiology Risk, Vibrio, Vibrio vulnificans, Vibrio vulnificus

Viet Nam – HCMC botulism patient dies before receiving antitoxin sent from Switzerland

Posted on May 26, 2023 by | Leave a comment

e-vnexpress

The World Health Organization has dispatched rare drug to HCMC to treat patients critically ill with botulism after eating pork bologna and fermented food, but one died shortly after it arrived.

Sent from Switzerland, six vials of botulism antitoxin heptavalent (BAT) arrived on Wednesday to be administered to the three men, aged 18, 26 and 45, the Ministry of Health said.

Two of them are under treatment at Cho Ray Hospital and the other at Gia Dinh Hospital.

But the 45-year-old patient at Gia Dinh died on Wednesday night before he was injected with the drug, the hospital announced Thursday morning.

Produced by Emergent BioSolutions Canada Inc., the drug effectively neutralizes all known botulinum nerve toxin serotypes. Without it, botulism patients could be paralyzed permanently.

Between May 13 and 20 six people in Thu Duc City suffered from botulinum poisoning, five after eating pork bologna sold by street vendors and one due to eating a type of fermented food.

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Posted in Bacterial Toxin, Clostridium, Clostridium botulinum, Death, Decontamination Microbial, food death, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Poisoning Death, microbial contamination, Microbial growth, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Microbiology Risk

USA – Dave’s Sushi to reopen after sickening 50 with 2 dead – Morel Mushrooms suspect

Posted on May 19, 2023 by | Leave a comment

Food Poison Journal

Gallatin City-County Health Department Rescinds Closure Order and Institutes New Health Officer Order with Corrective Actions Required Prior to Dave’s Sushi Reopening

Since being ordered to close on April 20, 2023, food samples – including salmon and morel mushrooms – from Dave’s Sushi have been collected and analyzed. To date, all samples have come back negative for a series of pathogens and toxins. A thorough investigation led by the Gallatin City-County Health Department, with support from the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS), the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), is still ongoing and it is known that this investigation may not be able to identify a specific pathogen/toxin as a source of the outbreak that impacted 50 people. Three individuals had severe outcomes, including hospitalizations, and the deaths of two individuals are being investigated after eating at the restaurant. The manner and cause of death for these two individuals will remain pending until autopsy and toxicology results are available.

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Posted in Death, food bourne outbreak, food death, Food Illness, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Poisoning Death, Foodborne Illness, Foodborne Illness Death, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Illness, microbial contamination, Microbial growth, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Microbiology Risk, outbreak

India – Assam: One dies, several hospitalised due to suspected food poisoning

Posted on May 17, 2023 by | Leave a comment

Daiji World

One person died in Assam’s Goalpara district, while several others were hospitalised after they complained of food poisoning following a ritual feast organised in Mariampur village bordering Meghalaya, officials said on Friday.

The function was organised on Wednesday night by Garo community members living in that village. People started complaining about uneasiness soon after the dinner.

The fishery department has collected samples and sent those for the test. Some samples were also sent to an Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) laboratory outside the state. Once we get the reports, the reason behind the mass illness can be ascertained.

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Posted in Death, food death, 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

USA – Possible Foodborne Illness Kills Two People in Montana – Lawsuit Filed on Behalf of Donna Ventura

Posted on May 17, 2023 by | Leave a comment

Food Poisoning News

On April 30th, a 64 year old woman, Donna Ventura, died of a suspected foodborne illness. The county police officer reports that she was a regular at Dave’s Sushi restaurant. One week before, a 74 year old man named William Lewis also died of a foodborne illness. He was also a patron of Dave’s Sushi. The cause of death is currently under investigation, though morel mushrooms are suspected. While the two deaths have not been “directly” linked to the sushi restaurant, yet, at least three dozen other patrons of Dave’s Sushi have reported illnesses. The autopsy results will be available in 4-6 weeks, and toxicology results will be available in 2-6 months.

The restaurant has been closed for more than 2 weeks after receiving multiple complaints from more than 30 consumers falling ill after eating Dave’s Sushi. The FDA has focused its attention on morel mushrooms, sourced from China, as the source of the illnesses. Although it is not yet confirmed that these mushrooms were what caused the outbreak, this was an off-menu addition and only those who consumed the tainted product became ill – usually within 30 to 270 minutes post-consumption.

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Posted in Death, food bourne outbreak, food death, Food Illness, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Poisoning Death, Foodborne Illness, Foodborne Illness Death, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Illness, microbial contamination, Microbial growth, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Microbiology Risk, outbreak

USA – Two possibly dead linked to Dave’s Sushi in Bozeman

Posted on May 3, 2023 by | Leave a comment

Food Poison Journal

According to press reports, Gallatin County Sheriff Dan Springer tells MTN News that Donna Ventura, age 64, died of a possible foodborne illness, after eating at Dave’s Sushi. The cause of Ventura’s death has not been confirmed as officials are waiting on autopsy and toxicology results.

According to earlier press reports, William “Bill” Lewis 74, of Townsend, died after eating at Dave’s Sushi, according to Broadwater County Sheriff Nick Rauser, who is also the county coroner. Sheriff Rauser says the 74-year-old man died at his home in Broadwater County. Sheriff Rauser says the call came in at 6:34 AM on the morning of April 18 and a relative told the responding officer that the man had eaten at Dave’s Sushi the night before, the same night the Gallatin County Health Department reported they received complaints of people becoming ill which led to the investigation and closure of the restaurant.

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Posted in Death, food death, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Poisoning Death, Foodborne Illness Death, microbial contamination, Microbial growth, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Microbiology Risk