Category Archives: E.coli

Eygpt – Egypt ‘e-coli’ hotel where Brits died on Thomas Cook holiday STILL available to book on Expedia and Trivago

The Mirror

A hotel in Egypt where a Brit couple stayed before their tragic deaths is still available to book through a range of popular websites.

John Cooper, 69, and his wife Susan, 63, died on August 21 after staying at the Steigenberger Aqua Magic Hotel in Hurghada. John sadly died at the hotel and Susan passed away at a nearby hospital on the same day.

Thomas Cook revealed on Wednesday that tests on the food and hygiene standards at the hotel identified a high level of e-coli and staphylococcus bacteria.

The Steigenberger Aqua Magic Hotel remains on stop sale to Thomas Cook customers until further notice.

But at the time of publication on Wednesday evening, the hotel appeared to still be available to book through several other well-known sites – including tripadvisor, Booking.com, trivago, Hotels.com, ebookers.com and Expedia.co.uk.

 

Research – Pathogenic Escherichia coli biosensor detection on chicken food samples

Wiley Online

Abstract

Escherichia coli is an important pollution indicator and is the most important foodborne pathogens of public health concern. The chicken meat is one of the most important sources of good quality protein, and it is also susceptible to microbial contamination and often implicated in foodborne disease. In such context, the detection of E. coli K12 in frozen chicken meat was investigated by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and surface plasmon resonance imaging techniques. The anti‐E. coli antibody was first immobilized onto gold surface by physisorption technique. The electrical and optical properties of the immobilized anti‐E. coli K12 antibody were studied. The binding of the E. coli K12 bacteria with the anti‐E. coli antibody layer was measured with a detection limit of 103 cfu/ml. This detection limit is better than those obtained with the enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) technique. Moreover, the developed biosensor was used for E. coli K12 detection in inoculated frozen chicken meat.

Practical applications

Escherichia coli is an important pollution indicator and is the most important foodborne pathogens of public health concern. The present study deals with the development of bacteria biosensors based on electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and surface plasmon resonance imaging techniques for E. coli K12 detection in inoculated frozen chicken meat. A detection limit of 103 cfu/ml was obtained with the developed biosensors that was better than those obtained with classical methods such as ELISA (enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay). This research work opens tremendous potential applications for the detection of pathogens in food at the early stage particularly with the development of miniaturized multiarrays platform based on impedance spectroscopy.

UK – Publication of survey of antimicrobial resistance in bacteria in chicken and pork

FSA

We have today published the results of a survey we commissioned to assess the amount of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in bacteria in fresh pork mince and fresh and frozen chicken on sale in shops in the UK. These findings will help to establish a baseline of the occurrence, types and levels of AMR in bacteria found in these UK retail meats which will inform future surveillance on AMR in these foods.

This survey follows on from an authoritative report by a group established by the Advisory Committee on Microbiological Safety of Food (ACMSF) to advise us on research questions and potential approaches to AMR in the food chain.

The survey involved the testing of Campylobacter in chicken samples and Salmonella in pork mince samples for the occurrence of antimicrobial resistant bacteria. The survey also looked for AMR in other bacteria in both types of meat including Enterococci, Klebsiella and Escherichia coli.  Read the final report of the survey.

Research – What Sparked An E. Coli Outbreak In Lettuce? Scientists Trace A Surprising Source

NPR

The illnesses started appearing in late March. Here and there, across the country, people were checking themselves in to hospitals, sick from toxic E. coli bacteria. At least 200 people got sick. Five of them died.

Investigators quickly identified romaine lettuce as the source of the outbreak, but have had trouble pinpointing the cause for months. Now, the Food and Drug Administration has a theory for how E. coli ended up on that lettuce. According to the FDA, it probably came from a large cattle feedlot at one end of a valley near Yuma, Ariz., which is one of the country’s biggest lettuce-growing areas.

The finding has put lettuce growers in Yuma in a tough spot. The feedlot has been their neighbor for many years. Some vegetable farmers are wondering whether they can still co-exist with all those cattle nearby

Research – Escherichia coli ST131-H22 as a Foodborne Uropathogen – Analysis ties resistant E coli from poultry meat to human UTIs

MBIO ASM 

USA – 18 E. coli O26 Illnesses Prompts Florida Publix to Recall Ground Beef

Food Poison Journal  CDC E.coli

Publix Super Markets Inc., a Lakeland, Fla., retail grocery store chain is voluntarily recalling an undetermined amount of ground beef products made from chuck that may be contaminated with Escherichia coli O26, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today.

The ground chuck items were purchased by consumers from June 25, 2018, through July 31, 2018. The following products are subject to recall: https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/wcm/connect/330436d0-f5bb-4ee3-a3eb-cca6459bf014/072-2018-List-Products.pdf?MOD=AJPERES&useDefaultText=0&useDefaultDesc=0

Sweden – E. coli update: 80 confirmed cases

Outbreak News Today 

 

CDC E.coliIn a follow-up on the E. coli O157:H7  outbreak  in Sweden,  the Norwegian Public Health Authority  is now reporting 80 confirmed cases and approximately 50 suspect cases to date, according to a Folkhalsomyndigheten news release this week (computer translated).

The cases have been reported from several counties, but mostly from Uppsala and Västra Götaland.

RASFF Alerts – STEC E.coli – Beef

kswfoodworld food safety poisoning

RASFF-shigatoxin-producing Escherichia coli (Ont:H21 stx2+ /25g) in chilled boneless beef meat from Argentina in Germany

RASFF-shigatoxin-producing Escherichia coli (present /25g) in chilled bovine meat from Belgium in Belgium

USA – Cargill recalls 12.64 tons of ground beef for E. coli O157:H7 contamination

Food Safety News 

kswfoodworld E.coli O157

Image CDC

 

Cargill Meat Solutions in Fort Morgan, CO late Thursday recalled approximately 25,288 pounds of ground beef products that may be contaminated with E. coli O157: H7, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS).

The ground beef items were produced on Aug. 16, 2018. The following products are subject to recall:

  • 10-lb. chubs of “EXCEL 93/7 FINE GRIND GROUND BEEF” with “Use/Frz. By Sep 05” on the chub label and a “PACK DATE 08/16/2018” on the box label.

The recalled beef products bear the establishment number “EST. 86R” inside the USDA mark of inspection. These items were shipped to warehouses in California and Colorado.

The problem was discovered on Aug. 22 by the establishment when they reviewed their records and determined that the product may be associated with the product that was presumptive positive for E. coli O157: H7. The company then notified FSIS. There have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of these products.

UK – Scotland – STEC in Scotland, 2017: enhanced surveillance and reference laboratory data

HPS O157 KSWFOODWORLD

Health Protection Scotland (HPS) today (21 August 2018) published the surveillance report ‘Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) in Scotland 2017: enhanced surveillance and reference laboratory data’.

This report is available at: https://www.hps.scot.nhs.uk/pubs/detail.aspx?id=3559.