Category Archives: E.coli

USA – Why Are There So Many HUS Complications in the E. coli O157:H7 Romaine Outbreak? An Attorney Answers

Posted on May 15, 2018 by | Leave a comment

Food Poisoning Bulletin 

The hospitalization rate and hemolytic uremic syndrome case count in the deadly E. coli O157:H7 HUS outbreak that is linked to romaine lettuce has been very high. Typically, in an E. coli outbreak, about 30% of patients are hospitalized, and about 5 to 10% develop hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS).

But in this outbreak, the hospitalization rate is almost 50%, and 13% of those patients have developed HUS. Why is the hospitalization rate and the HUS rate so high in this particular outbreak?

Typically, the group most susceptible to developing HUS is children under the age of 5. The patient age range in this outbreak is from 1 to 88. There could be quite a few children sick, which may explain the high HUS rate.

Another explanation for the high HUS rate and the high hospitalization rate is the type of toxins the E. coli bacteria are producing. Shiga toxin-producing E. coli bacteria make two types of those toxins: Stx1 and Stx2. Unfortunately, the bacteria in this outbreak are making Stx2, which causes more damage to the body.

Another factor could be that the lettuce was contaminated with an unusually high number of bacteria. It takes just 10 E. coli bacteria to make someone sick. More bacteria can release more toxins and cause more damage.”

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Posted in E.coli, E.coli O157, E.coli O157:H7, food bourne outbreak, food death, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Poisoning, food recall, Food Safety, Food Testing, Food Toxin, foodborne disease, Foodborne Illness, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Uncategorized

Research – Shiga toxin-producing E. coli found in food

Posted on May 10, 2018 by | Leave a comment

Science Daily 

 

Escherichia coli (E. coli) is a germ that occurs naturally in the gut of mammals and birds, as well as in the human intestinal flora. However, certain E. coli types can cause severe diarrhea in humans. These virulent E. coli types include Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC), also known as Verotoxin-producing E. coli (VTEC).

Their damaging effect is due to the fact that STEC produce toxins known as Shiga toxins (Stx), which can cause disease in the human gut. As the best known STEC representative, an enterohaemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC) strain of the serotype O104:H4 was responsible for numerous severe cases of haemolyticuremic syndrome (HUS) and bloody diarrhea in Germany in 2011, as a result of which 53 people died.

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Posted in E.coli, E.coli O103, E.coli O104, E.coli O111, E.coli O121, E.coli O128, E.coli O145, E.coli O157, E.coli O157:H7, E.coli O26, STEC, Uncategorized, VTEC

RASFF Alert – E.coli – Live Clams

Posted on May 4, 2018 by | Leave a comment

kswfoodworld food safety poisoning

RASFF-too high count of Escherichia coli (790 MPN/100g) in live clams (Venus veruccosa) from France, with raw material from Spain in Italy

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Posted in E.coli, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, RASFF, Uncategorized

RASFF Alert – STEC E.coli – E.coli – Camembert Cheese

Posted on April 27, 2018 by | Leave a comment

kswfoodworld food safety poisoning

RASFF-shigatoxin-producing Escherichia coli (stx1+, stx2+, eae+ /25g) and high count of Escherichia coli (140 CFU/g) in camembert cheese from France in Germany

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Posted in E.coli, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, RASFF, STEC, Uncategorized

Hong Kong – Romaine lettuce produced in Arizona, US suspected to be contaminated with Escherichia coli O157:H7

Posted on April 24, 2018 by | Leave a comment

CFS

Issue Date 23.4.2018
Source of Information The Food and Drug Administration of the United States
Food Product Romaine lettuce
Product Name and Description Romaine lettuce produced in the State of Arizona, the United States (US)
Reason For Issuing Alert
  • The Centre for Food Safety (CFS), through its Food Incident Surveillance System, noted a notice from the US Food and Drug Administration about the investigation of an outbreak of E coli infections that was likely linked to the consumption of romaine lettuce produced in the State of Arizona, which was suspected to be contaminated with E coli O157:H7. For the sake of prudence, the CFS has immediately suspended the import into and sale within Hong Kong of romaine lettuce produced in the area concerned.
Action Taken by the Centre for Food Safety
  • The CFS has informed the US authorities concerned of the import suspension and alerted the trade. It will continue to closely monitor the incident and take appropriate follow-up action.
  • The CFS has also enhanced surveillance of romaine lettuce produced in the US at import and retail levels.
Advice to the Trade
  • The trade should stop using or selling it if they possess the product concerned.
Advice to Consumers
  • People will contract E. coli causing gastro-intestinal disease through consumption of contaminated water or undercooked and contaminated foods. Intestinal bleeding and serious complications such as hemolytic uraemic syndrome (HUS) may also develop in some people.
  • Moreover, due to poor personal hygiene, person-to-person transmission of this pathogen is possible through the oral-faecal route.
  • E. coli cannot survive under high temperature and can be killed by thorough cooking.
Further Information The CFS press release

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Posted in E.coli, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Uncategorized

RASFF Alert – E.coli – Fresh Sweet Basil

Posted on April 20, 2018 by | Leave a comment

kswfoodworld food safety poisoning

RASFF-high count of Escherichia coli (1680; 610; 410; 270; 680 CFU/g) in fresh sweet basil from Thailand in Norway

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Posted in E.coli, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, RASFF, Recall, Uncategorized

Research – A macromolecular approach to eradicate multidrug resistant bacterial infections while mitigating drug resistance onset

Posted on April 15, 2018 by | Leave a comment

Nature 

 

Polymyxins remain the last line treatment for multidrug-resistant (MDR) infections. As polymyxins resistance emerges, there is an urgent need to develop effective antimicrobial agents capable of mitigating MDR. Here, we report biodegradable guanidinium-functionalized polycarbonates with a distinctive mechanism that does not induce drug resistance. Unlike conventional antibiotics, repeated use of the polymers does not lead to drug resistance. Transcriptomic analysis of bacteria further supports development of resistance to antibiotics but not to the macromolecules after 30 treatments. Importantly, high in vivo treatment efficacy of the macromolecules is achieved in MDR A. baumannii-, E. coli-, K. pneumoniae-, methicillin-resistant S. aureus-, cecal ligation and puncture-induced polymicrobial peritonitis, and P. aeruginosa lung infection mouse models while remaining non-toxic (e.g., therapeutic index—ED50/LD50: 1473 for A. baumannii infection). These biodegradable synthetic macromolecules have been demonstrated to have broad spectrum in vivo antimicrobial activity, and have excellent potential as systemic antimicrobials against MDR infections.

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Posted in Antibiotic Resistance, E.coli, Klebsiella, Research, Uncategorized

Research – Comparison of Predictors and Mortality Between Bloodstream Infections Caused by ESBL-Producing Escherichia coli and ESBL-Producing Klebsiella pneumoniae

Posted on April 14, 2018 by | Leave a comment

Cambridge Org

OBJECTIVE

To compare the epidemiology, clinical characteristics, and mortality of patients with bloodstream infections (BSI) caused by extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Escherichia coli (ESBL-EC) versus ESBL-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae (ESBL-KP) and to examine the differences in clinical characteristics and outcome between BSIs caused by isolates with CTX-M versus other ESBL genotypes

METHODS

As part of the INCREMENT project, 33 tertiary hospitals in 12 countries retrospectively collected data on adult patients diagnosed with ESBL-EC BSI or ESBL-KP BSI between 2004 and 2013. Risk factors for ESBL-EC versus ESBL-KP BSI and for 30-day mortality were examined by bivariate analysis followed by multivariable logistic regression.

RESULTS

The study included 909 patients: 687 with ESBL-EC BSI and 222 with ESBL-KP BSI. ESBL genotype by polymerase chain reaction amplification of 286 isolates was available. ESBL-KP BSI was associated with intensive care unit admission, cardiovascular and neurological comorbidities, length of stay to bacteremia >14 days from admission, and a nonurinary source. Overall, 30-day mortality was significantly higher in patients with ESBL-KP BSI than ESBL-EC BSI (33.7% vs 17.4%; odds ratio, 1.64; P=.016). CTX-M was the most prevalent ESBL subtype identified (218 of 286 polymerase chain reaction-tested isolates, 76%). No differences in clinical characteristics or in mortality between CTX-M and non–CTX-M ESBLs were detected.

CONCLUSIONS

Clinical characteristics and risk of mortality differ significantly between ESBL-EC and ESBL-KP BSI. Therefore, all ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae should not be considered a homogeneous group. No differences in outcomes between genotypes were detected.

CLINICAL TRIALS IDENTIFIER

ClinicalTrials.gov. Identifier: NCT01764490.

Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2018;1–8

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Posted in E.coli, Klebsiella, Research, Uncategorized

USA – New Jersey Officials Investigating Panera Breads as Possible E. coli Source

Posted on April 9, 2018 by | Leave a comment

Food Poisoning Bulletin

According to news reports, officials in New Jersey are “investigating a cluster of E. coli cases” that may be associated with “local Panera Breads,” according to Sarah Perramant, public health epidemiologist in Warren County. This was reported by NJ.com yesterday afternoon.

It’s important to note that the cluster of E. coli illnesses in that state has not been definitively linked to the Panera restaurant chain, and that health officials have not determined that Panera is the source. In fact, the outbreak may extend beyond one single restaurant chain. The investigation is continuing, with investigators interviewing witnesses, conducting traceback investigations, and using other methods of outbreak epidemiology.

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Posted in E.coli, Food Illness, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, outbreak, Uncategorized

Research – University researchers develop bacteria-killing light

Posted on April 8, 2018 by | Leave a comment

mndaily 

 

University of Minnesota researchers are using intense pulsed light to kill bacteria in powdered foods and prevent the potentially deadly risks of consuming them.

The federally-funded project has created a machine that can reduce harmful bacteria contamination by up to 99.99999 percent in powdered foods. Powdered foods, like flour and baby formula, have frequently been recalled in recent years due to contamination by bacteria such as salmonella and E. coli, which can be dangerous and even fatal.

France had to recall all Lactalis brand infant formula last December after salmonella contamination. In 2016, General Mills had to recall several types of flour due to the presence of E. coli, and several products made with Valley Milk Products’ milk powders also had to be recalled because of salmonella.

Flour contamination is particularly dangerous because it can contaminate any foods that it is cooked or baked into, said David Baumler, a professor from the Department of Food Science and Nutrition and a lead microbiologist for the project.

The research team hopes their pulsed light technology will help food companies keep their foods safe.

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Posted in E.coli, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Pulsed Light, Research, Salmonella, Uncategorized