Category Archives: E.coli O145

EFSA – VTEC E.coli Strains

Posted on April 11, 2013 by | Leave a comment

EFSAefsa

EFSA’s scientific experts say that it is currently not possible to identify which VTEC bacteria strains have the potential to cause human diseases. In order to help risk managers to identify human health risks, EFSA has proposed a scheme to categorise VTEC strains according to their potential to cause disease. This work has been carried out in response to a request of the Austrian Federal Ministry of Health.

VTEC (verocytotoxin-producing Escherichia coli) is a group of pathogenic E. coli bacteria that can cause bloody diarrhoea and haemolytic uremic syndrome in humans, a serious condition that can lead to kidney failure and be fatal [1].

EFSA’s Panel on Biological Hazards (BIOHAZ) has evaluated data from the EU on different VTEC strains with respect to their reported frequency, severity of human disease caused by the strains, and association with outbreaks. The Panel concluded that it is currently not possible to fully predict the potential of a VTEC strain found in food to cause human disease.

However the Panel has provided guidance to assist public health authorities in assessing risks related to VTEC strains. They proposed a scheme that considers the detection of specific genes in VTEC strains from humans, food and animals. EFSA will regularly review this scheme to improve future risk assessments.

Due to under-reporting of human cases and the unavailability of complete information, EFSA’s scientific experts also recommended that all Member States collect comprehensive data on VTEC strains when these are detected. Accurate reporting will help in predicting the factors responsible for the severity of human infections and outbreaks.

To carry out this evaluation, the Panel used data from the European Surveillance System (TESSy data) provided by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control and from the EU Summary Report on Trends and Sources of Zoonoses, Zoonotic Agents and Food-borne Outbreaks in 2011published today as well as data from relevant scientific literature.

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Posted in Bacteria, E.coli, E.coli O103, E.coli O104, E.coli O121, E.coli O145, E.coli O157, E.coli O26, EFSA, EHEC, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Technology, Food Testing, Microbiology, O103, Pathogen, Research, STEC, VTECH

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RASFF Alert – STec E.coli – Deer Meat

Posted on March 15, 2013 by | 1 comment

RASFF – Shigatoxin-producing Escherichia coli (VT1 positive) in frozen deer meat from Austria in Italy

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Posted in E.coli, E.coli O103, E.coli O145, E.coli O157, EHEC, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Microbiology, Pathogen, RASFF, Recall, STEC

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Research New Bacterial Identification Technology

Posted on January 17, 2013 by | Leave a comment

Food Poisoning Bulletin

xTAG Gastrointestinal Pathogen Panel (GPP), which recently received approval from US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), is one lab test that can do the job of many,  expertly scanning a solitary stool sample for 11 different illness-inducing organisms.

To many, that sounds an impressive feat in an of itself. But considering that 179 million Americans are stricken with gastroenteritis every year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), it’s also one that can come in handy. Infectious gastroenteritis is caused by certain viruses, bacteria, or parasites and can be spread easily through person-to-person contact or from contaminated food, water, and surfaces. Symptoms include vomiting and diarrhea.

The  xTAG can scan for  bacteria including Campylobacter, Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) toxin A/B, Escherichia coli (E. coli) O157, Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) LT/ST, Salmonella, Shigella and Shiga‐like Toxin producing E. coli (STEC) stx 1/stx 2. It can scan for viruses including Norovirus and Rotavirus A. And it can scan for parasites such as Cryptosporidium and Giardia.

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Posted in Bacteria, Campylobacter, Clostridium difficile, Cryptosporidium, E.coli, E.coli O103, E.coli O104, E.coli O145, E.coli O157, E.coli O26, EHEC, Food Safety, Food Technology, Food Testing, Food Virus, Giardia, Methods, Microbiology, Norovirus, Pathogen, Rotavirus

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USA – Research -STEC Sampling and Listeria Outbreaks 1998-2008

Posted on December 20, 2012 by | Leave a comment

FSIS Notice

 This notice provides new instructions to inspection program personnel (IPP) for verifying and documenting the sample source (beef, veal, or mixed) in the Public Health Information System (PHIS) when collecting raw beef samples under FSIS’s verification testing programs for Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC).

CDC

Listeria monocytogenes, a bacterial foodborne pathogen, can cause meningitis, bacteremia, and complications during pregnancy. This report summarizes listeriosis outbreaks reported to the Foodborne Disease Outbreak Surveillance System of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention during 1998–2008. The study period includes the advent of PulseNet (a national molecular subtyping network for outbreak detection) in 1998 and the Listeria Initiative (enhanced surveillance for outbreak investigation) in 2004. Twenty-four confirmed listeriosis outbreaks were reported during 1998–2008, resulting in 359 illnesses, 215 hospitalizations, and 38 deaths. Outbreaks earlier in the study period were generally larger and longer. Serotype 4b caused the largest number of outbreaks and outbreak-associated cases. Ready-to-eat meats caused more early outbreaks, and novel vehicles (i.e., sprouts, taco/nacho salad) were associated with outbreaks later in the study period. These changes may reflect the effect of PulseNet and the Listeria Initiative and regulatory initiatives designed to prevent contamination in ready-to-eat meat and poultry products.

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Posted in Bacteria, E.coli O104, E.coli O145, E.coli O157, E.coli O26, EHEC, Food Hygiene, Food Safety, Food Testing, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, Methods, Microbiology, Pathogen, Research, STEC

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USDA – Revised Microbiology Methods Links

Posted on November 8, 2012 by | Leave a comment

USDA Methods Book

USDA Isolation of Non 0157 Shiga Toxin E.coli with Appendix

USDA Isolation of Listeria monocytogenes with Appendix

USDA Isolation of Listeria monocytogenes PCR

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Posted in Bacteria, E.coli, E.coli O104, E.coli O145, E.coli O157, E.coli O26, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Safety, Food Testing, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, Methods, Microbiology, Pathogen, Recall, STEC, USDA

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US – Non – O157 Testing Preliminary Results

Posted on July 18, 2012 by | Leave a comment

Food Safety News

On June 4, food regulators began screening beef for six more strains of E. coli beyond the already-monitored E. coli O157:H7. Since that time, 110 samples of beef trim have been tested for non-O157 E. coli; 3 were found to be carrying these bacteria. 
 
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service published these initial findings in a results chart this week. The three positive test results represented three different strains of E. coli: O45, O103 and O145, each of which was found once. No samples have yet tested positive for the other three strains: O26, O111 and O121.

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Posted in Bacteria, E.coli, E.coli O104, E.coli O145, E.coli O157, E.coli O26, EHEC, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Microbiology, Pathogen, Research, STEC, USDA

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E.coli O145 Outbreak – US 6 States

Posted on June 24, 2012 by | Leave a comment

E.coli Blog

A total of 15 persons infected with the outbreak strain of STEC O145 infection have been identified in 6 states.

The number of ill persons identified in each state is as follows: Alabama (2), California (1), Florida (1), Georgia (5), Louisiana (5), and Tennessee (1).

Four ill persons have been hospitalised. One death has been reported in Louisiana.

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Posted in Bacteria, E.coli, E.coli O145, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Testing, Foodborne Illness, Microbiology, outbreak, Pathogen, Recall

US E.coli O145 Outbreak Now Hits Six States

Posted on June 9, 2012 by | Leave a comment

Food Safety News 

Today the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced that the E. coli O145 outbreak that killed a young girl in Louisiana has sickened at least 14 people in six states:

Georgia (5 illnesses), Louisiana (4), Alabama (2), California (1), Florida (1) and Tennessee (1).
 
Three people have been hospitalised. 
 
The source of the contamination remains unknown.
 
“The investigation is looking at both food and non-food exposures as part of the ongoing investigation,” a CDC statement read. “State public health officials are interviewing ill persons to obtain information regarding foods they might have eaten and other exposures in the week before illness.”
 
Illness onset dates range from April 15 to May 12. Infections that began after May 12 may not have been reported yet. The most recent case was reported on June 4.
 
A 21-month-old girl in Louisiana died from her infection on May 31 after falling ill several weeks earlier. This outbreak has no connection to the May 26 death of a 6-year-old Massachusetts boy suffering from an E. coli O157:H7 infection.

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Posted in Bacteria, CDC, E.coli, E.coli O145, EHEC, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Foodborne Illness, Microbiology, outbreak, Pathogen

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US Multi State E.coli O145 Outbreak

Posted on June 7, 2012 by | Leave a comment

Food Poisoning Bulletin

Florida is part of an E coli outbreak that includes Georgia and Louisiana, according to the Florida Department of Health. A spokesperson for the Florida DOH told Food Poisoning Bulletin that a case has been confirmed and that they are “using routine processes and working closely with the CDC in the investigation of a potential commonality.”

News of this multi-state outbreak began this week with the death of a toddler in New Orleans. Our investigation has found that Georgia and Florida also have patients ill with the same strain of E. coli 0145. No particular source has been pinpointed as the cause of this outbreak.

The CDC has not released any information about the outbreak. The case count is as follows:

  • Florida (1)
  • Georgia (5)
  • Louisiana (3) (1 death)

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Posted in Bacteria, E.coli, E.coli O145, EHEC, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Testing, Foodborne Illness, HUS, Microbiology, outbreak, Pathogen, STEC

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