Category Archives: EHEC

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.

Leave a comment

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

Tagged , , ,

Research – EFSA – ECDC – The European Union Summary Report on Trends and Sources of Zoonoses, Zoonotic Agents

Posted on April 9, 2013 by | Leave a comment

EFSA

The European Food Safety Authority and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control analysed the information submitted by 27 European Union Member States on the occurrence of zoonoses and food-borne outbreaks in 2011. Campylobacteriosis was the most commonly reported zoonosis with 220,209 confirmed human cases. The occurrence of Campylobacter continued to be high in broiler meat at EU level.

The decreasing trend in confirmed salmonellosis cases in humans continued with a total of 95,548 cases in 2011. Most Member States met their Salmonella reduction targets for poultry, and Salmonella is declining in these populations. In foodstuffs, Salmonella was most often detected in meat and products thereof.

The number of confirmed human listeriosis cases decreased to 1,476. Listeria was seldom detected above the legal safety limit from ready-to-eat foods.

A total of 9,485 confirmed verotoxigenic Escherichia coli (VTEC) infections were reported. This represents an increase of 159.4 % compared with 2010 as a result of the large STEC/VTEC outbreak that occurred in 2011 in the EU, primarily in Germany. VTEC was also reported from food and animals.

The number of human yersiniosis cases increased to 7,017 cases. Yersinia enterocolitica was isolated also from pig meat and pigs; 132 cases of Mycobacterium bovis and 330 cases of brucellosis in humans were also reported. The prevalence of bovine tuberculosis in cattle increased, and the prevalence of brucellosis decreased in cattle and sheep and goat populations.

Trichinellosis and echinococcosis caused 268 and 781 human cases, respectively and these parasites were mainly detected in wildlife. The numbers of alveolar and of cystic echinococcosis respectively increased and decreased in the last five years. One imported human case of rabies was reported. The number of rabies cases in animals continued to decrease.

Most of the 5,648 reported food-borne outbreaks were caused by Salmonella, bacterial toxins, Campylobacter and viruses, and the main food sources were eggs, mixed foods and fish and fishery products.

 

© European Food Safety Authority, 2013

Leave a comment

Posted in Bacteria, Campylobacter, E.coli, E.coli O104, E.coli O157, ECDC, EFSA, EHEC, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Technology, Food Testing, Foodborne Illness, Hygiene, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, Microbiology, outbreak, Pathogen, Poisoning, Research

Tagged , , ,

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

1 Comment

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

Tagged ,

RASFF Alerts – E.coli – Raw Milk – Beef – Live Mussels

Posted on March 11, 2013 by | Leave a comment

RASFF – Shigatoxin-producing Escherichia coli (presence /25g) in raw milk camembert from France in Germany

RASFF – Too high count of Escherichia coli (1100 MPN/100g) in live mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) from Spain in Italy

RASFF – Shigatoxin-producing Escherichia coli in chilled boneless beef (Bos taurus) from Australia in Netherlands

RASFF – Shigatoxin-producing Escherichia coli in chilled bovine meat (Bos taurus) from Brazil in the Netherlands

 

Leave a comment

Posted in Bacteria, E.coli, EHEC, Food Hygiene, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Microbiology, Pathogen, RASFF, Recall

Tagged , , ,

European and RASFF Alerts – Aflatoxin – Salmonella – Moulds – STEC E.coli – Norovirus – Listeria monocytogenes

Posted on March 8, 2013 by | Leave a comment

RASFF – Aflatoxins in Maize Feed in Germany sourced in Romania via Belgium

RASFF – Salmonella in Dried Whole Green Peppers in Germany via India

RASFF – Listeria in Frozen Raw Milk Sheep Cheese in France

RASFF – Aflatoxins in Red Hot Chilli Pepper Powder in Switzerland sourced in Turkey

RASFF– Salmonella in Frozen Beef in Sweden sourced in Ireland

RASFF – Moulds in Unsalted Butter in Greece sourced in France

RASFF – Shigatoxin-producing Escherichia coli in Smoked Sausage in Austria

RASFF – Norovirus (G I & GII) in Oysters in France

Germany – Listeria monocytogenes in Palatine liver dumplings in Germany

Leave a comment

Posted in Aflatoxin, Bacteria, E.coli, E.coli O157, EHEC, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, Microbiology, Moulds, Pathogen, RASFF, Recall, Salmonella

Tagged , , , ,

Research – Various Studies on Product Microbial Decontamination – Salmonella – E.coli O157 – Clostridium

Posted on March 8, 2013 by | Leave a comment

Wiley Online – Essential Oils Inactivation of Salmonella on Cherry Tomato’s

Wiley Online – The Efficacy of Satureja khuzistanica Essential Oil Treatment in Reducing Escherichia coli O157:H7 Load on Alfalfa Seeds Prior to Sprouting

Ingenta Connect – Commercial Thermal Process for Inactivating Salmonella Poona on Surfaces of Whole Fresh Cantaloupes

Ingenta Connect – Dynamic Effects of Free Chlorine Concentration, Organic Load, and Exposure Time on the Inactivation of Salmonella, Escherichia coli O157:H7, and Non-O157 Shiga Toxin-Producing E. coli

Ingenta Connect – Effect of Packaging Systems and Pressure Fluids on Inactivation of Clostridium botulinum Spores by Combined High Pressure and Thermal Processing

 

Leave a comment

Posted in Bacteria, Clostridium botulinum, E.coli, E.coli O157, EHEC, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Safety, Food Technology, Food Testing, Methods, Microbiology, Pathogen, Research

Tagged , , , ,

European RASFF Alerts – E.coli O157 – STEC – E.coli

Posted on March 1, 2013 by | 2 comments

FSAI – E. coli O157 present in Gouda Herb Cheese by Kilshanny Farmhouse Cheese

RASFF – E.coli in Chilled Mussels in Italy sourced in Spain

RASFF – STEC E.coli in Raw Milk Cheese in Germany sourced in France

2 Comments

Posted in Bacteria, E.coli, E.coli O157, EHEC, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Methods, Microbiology, Pathogen, RASFF, Recall, STEC

Tagged , , , ,

Ireland – Creche with E.coli Cases

Posted on February 28, 2013 by | Leave a comment

Irish Examiner

Further possible cases of E.coli infection are being investigated in children attending a Cork crèche where one case has already been confirmed.

The HSE told parents of children attending First Steps in Midleton  the infection is now being treated as “an outbreak investigation” following reports of diarrhoeal illnesses in more babies.

The HSE received official confirmation of the first case on Wednesday. It is understood a baby tested positive. On foot of this, all 85 children and 15 staff who attend the Mill Rd crèche must now be tested.

Yesterday the HSE distributed kits to parents for collection of two stool samples. The samples will have to be microbiologically tested at the National VTEC (Verotoxigenic E.coli) reference laboratory in Dublin. In the meantime, the parents have been warned by the HSE that their child should not attend any childcare facility until both samples test clear of infection.
Staff have also been asked to refrain from working with children.

Leave a comment

Posted in Bacteria, EHEC, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Safety, Food Testing, Microbiology, outbreak, Pathogen

Tagged ,

USA – WSDA – Recall Raw Milk – STEC E.coli ?

Posted on February 27, 2013 by | Leave a comment

WSDAWSDA

OLYMPIA — The Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) is
warning consumers not to drink Dungeness Valley Creamery brand raw Jersey whole milk, raw Jersey skim milk, and raw Jersey cream because the products may be contaminated with Escherichia coli bacteria (E. coli) that can cause serious illness.

Dungeness Valley Creamery raw Jersey cream, raw Jersey whole
milk and raw Jersey skim milk with any Best Buy dates of 03/02 or later may be
contaminated. The firm sells its products in gallon, half gallon, quart and pint
containers. Today’s health alert includes all container sizes of the unpasteurized milk products.

The health alert is being initiated after routine sampling by WSDA found toxin-producing E. coli in a sample of raw cream. Based in Sequim, the Dungeness Valley Creamery and WSDA are continuing their investigation into the source of the problem. Currently, no human illnesses have been linked with these products.

Leave a comment

Posted in Bacteria, E.coli, EHEC, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Microbiology, Pathogen, Recall, STEC

Tagged , , ,

European – RASFF Alerts – E.coli O157 – E.coli – Salmonella – Histamine – Norovirus

Posted on February 21, 2013 by | Leave a comment

RASFF– E.coli O157 in Frozen Hamburgers in Sweden raw material source in the Netherlands

RASFF – Salmonella in Paan Leaves in the UK sourced in India

RASFF – E.coli in Fresh Basail leaves in Norway sourced in Vietnam

RASFF – Histamine in Chilled Tuna Products in Italy sourced in Spain

RASFF – Norovirus in Oysters in the Netherlands sourced in France

RASFF – E.coli in Boneless Beef in the Netherlands sourced in Brasil

Leave a comment

Posted in E.coli, E.coli O157, EHEC, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Microbiology, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Technology, Foodborne Illness, Histamine, Hygiene, Microbiology, Norovirus, Pathogen, RASFF, Recall, Salmonella, Virus

Tagged , , , ,