Category Archives: E.coli O157:H7

Research -First report of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in ready-to-eat sushi.

Posted on November 19, 2019 by KSW | Leave a comment

AIMS:The aim of this study was to evaluate the microbiological quality of commercially prepared ready-to-eat (RTE) sushi by enumerating aerobic mesophilic bacteria (AMB) and thermotolerant coliforms (TC) and detecting Escherichia coli and Salmonella ssp. An isolate was identified as E. coli O157:H7 which was evaluated for its virulence and antimicrobial resistance profiling as well as its ability to form biofilms on stainless steel. METHODS AND RESULTS:There were four sampling events in seven establishments, totalling 28 pools of sushi samples. Mean AMB counts ranged between 5·2 and 7·7 log CFU per gram. The enumeration of TC varied between 2·1 and 2·7 log MPN per gram. Salmonella ssp. were not detected, and one sample was positive for E. coli and was identified as E. coli O157:H7. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of E. coli O157:H7 in sushi samples in the world literature. This isolate presented virulence genes stx1, stx2, eae and hlyA. It was also susceptible to 14 antimicrobials tested and had the ability to form biofilms on stainless steel. CONCLUSIONS:There is a need to improve the good hygiene practices adopted in establishments selling sushi in the city of Pelotas, Brazil. In addition, the isolated E. coli O157:H7 carries a range of important virulence genes being a potential risk to consumer health, as sushi is a RTE food. This isolate also presents biofilm formation ability, therefore, may trigger a constant source of contamination in the production line of this food. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY:The increase in the consumption of sushi worldwide attracts attention regarding the microbiological point of view, since it is a ready-to-eat food. To our knowledge, this was the first time that E. coli O157:H7 was identified in sushi samples.

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Posted in E.coli, E.coli O157, E.coli O157:H7, food contamination, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Pathogen, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Food Toxin, Research, Salmonella, STEC, STEC E.coli, Uncategorized

USA -New Seasons Ground Beef E. coli O157 Recall Expands: One More Case

Posted on November 18, 2019 by KSW | Leave a comment

Food Poisoning Bulletin

New Seasons Market has expanded its recall of fresh ground beef sold at its Portland, Oregon stores for possible E. coli O157:H7 contamination after new tests show that some of the potentially contaminated meat was available for sale as recently as November 8, 2019. In addition, one more illness case that is closely associated with one of the three confirmed cases has been identified.

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Posted in E.coli, E.coli O157, E.coli O157:H7, food contamination, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Pathogen, Food Poisoning, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Food Toxin, Uncategorized

USA – ProMed: 3 women hospitalized with E. coli O157, Wisconsin, RFI

Posted on November 18, 2019 by KSW | Leave a comment

Barf Blog

Over the past 5 days, our health care facility in northwest Wisconsin, USA, has seen 3 women hospitalized with E. coli O157 infection. All presented with significant abdominal pain without fever and watery diarrhea which in 2 progressed to bloody diarrhea. None of the 3 have manifested any evidence of hemolytic-uremic syndrome. Both of the women seen by the Infectious Diseases service stated that their diet contains a lot of salads.

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Posted in E.coli, E.coli O157, E.coli O157:H7, food contamination, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Pathogen, Food Poisoning, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Food Toxin, Uncategorized

Research -Occurrence of Campylobacter spp., Salmonella spp. and shiga toxin‐producing Escherichia coli in inline milk filters from Swedish dairy farms

Posted on November 15, 2019 by KSW | Leave a comment

Wiley Online

Abstract

This study investigated the occurrence of shiga toxin‐producing Escherichia coli (STEC), thermotolerant Campylobacter spp. and Salmonella spp. in Swedish dairy milk. A total of 302 inline milk filters were analyzed. Salmonella was not isolated from any filters. Polymerase chain reaction screening detected thermotolerant Campylobacter in 30.5% of the milk filters analyzed and it was isolated from 12.6% of filters. The stx genes (stx₁, stx₂, or both) were screened from 71% of the filters and STEC was isolated from 14% of these. Of the STEC isolates, 21 contained the stx₁ gene, 19 the stx₂ gene, and five a combination of both stx₁ and stx₂ genes. Whole genome sequence typing on 34 of the 45 STEC showed that they belonged to 21 different serotypes, of which STEC O145:H28 was the most common (2%). STEC O157:H7 was only found from one (0.3%) of the filters. A combination of stx₂ and eae genes was found from 0.7% of the total number of inline milk filters analyzed, while stx_2a was found in 24% of the whole genome‐sequenced isolates. There was a significant positive correlations between number of animals per farm and presence of pathogens on milk filters.

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Posted in Campylobacter, E.coli O145, E.coli O157, E.coli O157:H7, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Technology, microbial contamination, Microbiology, Research, STEC, STEC E.coli, STX 1, STX 2, Technology, Uncategorized

Research – Searching for high pressure processing parameters for Escherichia coli O157:H7, Salmonella enterica and Listeria monocytogenes reduction in Concord grape juice

Posted on November 14, 2019 by KSW | Leave a comment

Research Gate

Purpose High pressure processing (HPP) has been widely used for high-acid (pH<4.6) juices. The purpose of this study was to investigate optimal parameters aimed at achieving 5-log reduction of the pathogens of reference in Concord grape juice (pH 3.39). Design/methodology/approach Grape juice was inoculated with five strain cocktails of Escherichia coli O157:H7, Salmonella enterica and Listeria monocytogenes . In total, 11 trials were carried out based on a Central Composite Rotational Design (CCRD). The pressure ( P ), ranging from 319 to 531 MPa, and dwell time ( t ), from 35 to 205 s, were tested. The performance of the combinations ( P × t ) was evaluated by pathogen challenge microbiological assays. Findings E. coli O157:H7 was more resistant to HPP than S. enterica . L. monocytogenes did not grow in unprocessed juice (before HPP). Findings demonstrated that moderate pressures (~400 MPa) and short dwell times (~2 min) were effective in achieving a greater than 5-log reduction in the pathogens of reference. Practical implications Because the maintenance costs of equipment exponentially increase with pressure beyond 600 MPa, significant reductions in process pressure are highly desirable. Originality/value The results of this study can supplement the dearth of information on the applicability of high pressure as a Concord grape juice processing technology in terms of the pathogens inactivation. Furthermore, the use of a cocktail of five strains of pathogens inoculated in Concord grape juice to challenge different HPP parameters has not been reported.

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Posted in E.coli, E.coli O157, E.coli O157:H7, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Technology, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, microbial contamination, Microbiology, Research, Salmonella, Technology, Uncategorized

USA – Foodborne illness source attribution estimates for 2017 for Salmonella, Escherichia coli O157, Listeria monocytogenes, and Campylobacter

Posted on November 14, 2019 by KSW | Leave a comment

CDC

Image CDC

Executive Summary
Each year in the United States an estimated 9 million people get sick, 56,000 are hospitalized, and 1,300 die of foodborne disease caused by known pathogens. These estimates help us understand the scope of this public health problem. However, to develop effective prevention measures, we need to understand the types of
foods contributing to the problem. The Interagency Food Safety Analytics Collaboration (IFSAC) is a tri-agency group created by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the U.S. Department
of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA-FSIS). IFSAC developed a method to estimate the sources of foodborne illness using outbreak data from 1998 through the most recent year for four priority pathogens: Salmonella, Escherichia coli O157, Listeria monocytogenes, and Campylobacter. IFSAC described this method and the estimates for 2012 in a report and at a public meeting. IFSAC derived the estimates for 2017 using the same method used for the 2012 estimates, with some modifications. The data came from 1,329 foodborne disease outbreaks that occurred from 1998 through 2017 and for which each confirmed or suspected implicated food fell into a single food category. The method relies most heavily on the most recent five years of outbreak data (2013 – 2017). Foods are categorized using a scheme IFSAC created to classify foods into 17 categories that closely align with the U.S. food regulatory agencies’ classification needs.

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Posted in Campylobacter, E.coli, E.coli O157, E.coli O157:H7, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, microbial contamination, Microbiology, Research, Salmonella, Uncategorized

USA – Three infected after eating ground beef from grocery store meat counters – E.col iO157

Posted on November 11, 2019 by KSW | Leave a comment

Food Safety News

Image CDC

At least three people are sick with E. coli O157:H7 infections after eating ground beef sold by New Seasons Market stores. The retailer is recalling an unrevealed amount of meat.

Although the implicated ground beef was sold between Oct. 19 and 23, there is concern that some people may have it in their home freezers. The Oregon Health Authority issued a public notice urging customers who purchased the ground beef to throw it away immediately.

The recalled ground beef comes in 5 percent, 10 percent and 20 percent fat content varieties and is ground at individual New Seasons Market stores’ meat counters. The retailer has stores in Oregon, Washington and California.

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Research -Synergistic effect of steam and lactic acid against Escherichia coli O157:H7, Salmonella Typhimurium, and Listeria monocytogenes biofilms on polyvinyl chloride and stainless steel

Posted on November 9, 2019 by KSW | Leave a comment

Science Direct

Abstract

This study was designed to investigate the individual and combined effects of steam and lactic acid (LA) on the inactivation of biofilms formed by Escherichia coli O157:H7, Salmonella Typhimurium, and Listeria monocytogenes on polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and stainless steel. Six day old biofilms were developed on PVC and stainless steel coupons by using a mixture of three strains each of three foodborne pathogens at 25 °C. After biofilm development, PVC and stainless steel coupons were treated with LA alone (immersed in 0.5% or 2% for 5 s, 15 s, and 30 s), steam alone (on both sides for 5, 10, and 20 s), and the combination of steam and LA. The numbers of biofilm cells of the three foodborne pathogens were significantly (p < 0.05) reduced as the amount of LA and duration of steam exposure increased. There was a synergistic effect of steam and LA on the viability of biofilm cells of the three pathogens. For all biofilm cells of the three foodborne pathogens, reduction levels of individual treatments ranged from 0.11 to 2.12 log CFU/coupon. The combination treatment of steam and LA achieved an additional 0.2 to 2.11 log reduction compared to the sum of individual treatments. After a combined treatment of immersion in 2% LA for 15 s or 30 s followed by exposure to steam for 20 s, biofilm cells of the three pathogens were reduced to below the detection limit (1.48 log). From the results of this study, bacterial populations of biofilms on PVC coupons did not receive the same thermal effect as on stainless steel coupons. Effectiveness of steam and LA may be attributed to the difference between Gram-negative and Gram-positive characteristics of the bacteria studied. The results of this study suggest that the combination of steam and LA has potential as a biofilm control intervention for food processing facilities.

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Canada -Updated Food Recall Warning – Various raw beef and raw veal products recalled due to E. coli O157:H7

Posted on November 8, 2019 by KSW | Leave a comment

CFIA

Ottawa, November 6, 2019 – The food recall warning issued on November 5, 2019 has been updated to include additional product information. This additional information was identified during the Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s (CFIA) food safety investigation.

Industry is recalling various raw beef and raw veal products from the marketplace due to possible E. coli O157:H7 contamination. Consumers should not consume and distributors, retailers and food service establishments such as hotels, restaurants, cafeterias, hospitals and nursing homes should not sell or use the recalled products described below.

The following products have been sold as indicated in the link above.

Ongoing investigation

See complete list of recalled products associated with this ongoing investigation.

Illnesses

There have been no reported illnesses associated with the consumption of these products.

2019-11-04 – Various raw beef and raw veal products recalled due to E. coli O157:H7

2019-10-30 – Various raw beef and raw veal products recalled due to E. coli O157:H7

2019-10-29 – Various raw beef and raw veal products recalled due to E. coli O157:H7

2019-10-28 – Various raw beef and raw veal products recalled due to E. coli O157:H7

2019-10-25 – Various raw beef and raw veal products recalled due to E. coli O157:H7

2019-10-24 – Various raw beef and raw veal products recalled due to E. coli O157:H7

2019-10-23 – Various raw beef and raw veal products recalled due to E. coli O157:H7

2019-10-22 – Various raw beef and raw veal products recalled due to E. coli O157:H7

2019-10-21 – Various raw beef and raw veal products recalled due to E. coli O157:H7

2019-10-19 – Various raw beef and raw veal products recalled due to E. coli O157:H7

2019-10-18 – Various raw beef and raw veal products recalled due to E. coli O157:H7

2019-10-17 – Various raw beef and raw veal products recalled due to E. coli O157:H7

2019-10-16 – Various raw beef and raw veal products recalled due to E. coli O157:H7

2019-10-15 – Various raw beef and raw veal products recalled due to E. coli O157:H7

2019-10-12 – Various raw beef and raw veal products recalled due to E. coli O157:H7

2019-10-11 – Various raw beef and raw veal products recalled due to E. coli O157:H7

2019-10-10 – Various raw beef and raw veal products recalled due to E. coli O157:H7

2019-10-09 – Various raw beef and raw veal products recalled due to E. coli O157:H7

2019-10-08 – Ryding-Regency Meat Packers Ltd. brand raw beef products recalled due to E. coli O157:H7

2019-10-07 – Various raw beef and raw veal products recalled due to E. coli O157:H7

2019-10-06 – The Beef Boutique Ltd. brand raw beef products recalled due to E. coli O157:H7

2019-10-04 – Ryding-Regency Meat Packers Ltd. brand raw beef products recalled due to E. coli O157:H7

2019-10-03 – Ryding-Regency Meat Packers Ltd. brand raw beef products recalled due to E. coli O157:H7

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Posted in CFIA, E.coli, E.coli O157, E.coli O157:H7, food contamination, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Pathogen, Food Poisoning, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Food Toxin, Uncategorized

Canada -Updated Food Recall Warning – Various raw beef and raw veal products recalled due to E. coli O157:H7

Posted on November 6, 2019 by KSW | Leave a comment

CFIA

Image CDC

Recall details

Ottawa, November 5, 2019 – The food recall warning issued on November 4, 2019 has been updated to include additional product information. This additional information was identified during the Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s (CFIA) food safety investigation.

The following products have been sold as indicated in the table below.

Ongoing investigation

See complete list of recalled products associated with this ongoing investigation.

Recalled products

Recalled products – Consumer

Brand	Product	Size	UPC	Codes	Additional Information / Distribution
None	Dry Aged Burgers 6.5oz	Variable (clerk-served)	None	All ‘Packed on’ dates from 2019JUL09 up to and including 2019JUL23	Sold at Chantecler Boucherie, 1318 Queen Street West, Toronto
None	Ribeye	Variable (clerk-served)	None	All ‘Packed on’ dates from 2019JUL09 up to and including 2019JUL23	Sold at Chantecler Boucherie, 1318 Queen Street West, Toronto

What you should do

If you think you became sick from consuming a recalled product, call your doctor.

Check to see if you have the recalled products in your home or establishment. Recalled products should be thrown out or returned to the location where they were purchased.

Food contaminated with E. coli O157:H7 may not look or smell spoiled but can still make you sick. Symptoms can include nausea, vomiting, mild to severe abdominal cramps and watery to bloody diarrhea. In severe cases of illness, some people may have seizures or strokes, need blood transfusions and kidney dialysis or live with permanent kidney damage. In severe cases of illness, people may die.

Background

This recall was triggered by the CFIA’s inspection activities. The CFIA is conducting a food safety investigation, which may lead to the recall of other products. If other high-risk products are recalled, the CFIA will notify the public through updated Food Recall Warnings.

The CFIA is verifying that industry is removing the recalled products from the marketplace.