Category Archives: food bourne outbreak

Taiwan – Woman charged over tainted sandwiches sales – Salmonella

Posted on April 2, 2024 by | Leave a comment

Taipei Times

Taoyuan prosecutors completed an investigation yesterday into a salmonella poisoning case last year in which more than 500 people became ill.

The prosecutors indicted the proprietor of a food stall at a market in Taoyuan’s Jhongli Distict (中壢) which sold Vietnamese-style sandwhiches known as banh mi.

Prosecutors said that the proprietor, surnamed Nguyen, originally from Vietnam, contravened the Act Governing Food Safety and Sanitation (食品安全衛生管理法), adding that “she should ensure the cleanliness and safety of food preparation materials, but failed to do so, leading to bacterial contamination.”

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Posted in food bourne outbreak, Food Illness, Foodborne Illness, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Illness, outbreak, Salmonella

Research- WGS Responsible for Quick Detection of Salmonella Outbreak

Posted on April 1, 2024 by | Leave a comment

IDSE

The use of whole genome sequencing (WGS)-based surveillance and rapid epidemiological intervention allowed public health experts to quickly link a Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium outbreak to cantaloupes grown in the United States.

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Posted in food bourne outbreak, Food Illness, Food Microbiology Research, Foodborne Illness, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Illness, outbreak, Research, Salmonella, Salmonella Cantaloupes, WGS, Whole Genomic Sequencing

RASFF Alert – Foodborne Outbreak – Salmonella – Duck Breast

Posted on March 29, 2024 by | Leave a comment

RASFF

Foodborne outbreak caused by Salmonella enterica ser. Enteritidis (presence /25g) in frozen duck breasts from Hungary in Slovenia

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Posted in food bourne outbreak, Food Illness, Foodborne Illness, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Illness, outbreak, Salmonella

EU – Multi‐country outbreak of Salmonella Mbandaka ST413 linked to consumption of chicken meat products in the EU/EEA and the UK – first update

Posted on March 28, 2024 by | Leave a comment

EFSA

A cross‐border outbreak of Salmonella Mbandaka ST413 has been ongoing in the European Union/European Economic Area (EU/EEA) and the United Kingdom (UK) for over two years since September 2021. By 30 November 2022, 196 cases had been recorded and published in a joint European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) Rapid Outbreak Assessment. By 15 March 2024, 300 cases (an increase of 104 cases) had been reported in Estonia (n = 3), Finland (n = 98), France (n = 16), Germany (n = 2), Ireland (n = 7), the Netherlands (n = 1), and the United Kingdom (n = 173), according to the European case definition. Twenty‐three cases were hospitalised, six cases had septicaemia and one case died in the UK.

In November 2022, when the first assessment was published, ready‐to‐eat chicken products and/or fresh chicken meat were identified as probable vehicles of infection based on case interviews in Finland and the UK. Subsequent investigations by the food safety authorities in Estonia, Finland and the Netherlands and the sharing of genomic food information with EFSA in 2024 identified frozen steam‐cooked chicken breast, produced in Ukraine, as the vehicle of infections. The contaminated batches had been imported by non‐EU operators and distributed in the EU/EEA and UK markets.

The shelf lives of contaminated frozen chicken meat products expired in November and December 2023. The most recent cases were detected in Finland in October 2023 and in the UK in February 2024. Assuming that the identified contaminated batches are no longer on the market, and given the expiration dates and control measures implemented, the likelihood of new infections occurring with the outbreak strain from these batches is low. However, despite the implementation of control measures, cases continued to occur throughout 2023 in the EU/EEA and in early 2024 in the UK, suggesting undetected routes of exposure which require further investigation and pose a continued, albeit reduced, risk for new infections.

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Posted in food bourne outbreak, Food Illness, Foodborne Illness, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Illness, outbreak, Salmonella, Salmonella in Chicken

USA – Outbreak Investigation of E. coli O157:H7: Raw Cheddar Cheese (February 2024) – Is Over.

Posted on March 27, 2024 by | Leave a comment

FDA

Raw Cheddar 8 oz block

FDA’s Outbreak Investigation is closed. CDC declares outbreak over.

Current Update

March 26, 2024

The FDA and CDC, in collaboration with state and local partners, investigated a multistate outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 linked to all sizes of RAW FARM-brand Raw Cheddar cheese blocks (with best by dates through 10/4/2024) and shredded cheese (with best by dates through 5/10/2024).

As part of this investigation, officials in CO, CA, and UT collected various RAW FARM-brand products for testing, and all samples were negative for E. coli. While E. coli has not been found in product samples, epidemiologic evidence shows that RAW FARM-brand Raw Cheddar cheese made by RAW FARM, LLC is the likely source of this outbreak.

As of March 26, 2024, CDC announced that the outbreak is over. CDC reports a total of 11 illnesses in five states. There has been a total of five hospitalizations; two developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a serious condition that can lead to kidney failure. No deaths were reported. The last illness onset date was February 5, 2024. FDA’s outbreak investigation is closed.

FDA and CDC will continue to monitor for additional illnesses, and this investigation may be reopened if additional cases are identified.

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Posted in CDC, E.coli O157, E.coli O157:H7, FDA, food bourne outbreak, Food Illness, Foodborne Illness, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Illness, outbreak, Raw Milk, raw milk cheese, STEC, STEC E.coli

USA – E. coli Outbreak linked to PCC Guacamole

Posted on March 25, 2024 by | Leave a comment

Marler Blog

Public Health is investigating an outbreak of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli O157:H7 (also known as STEC). Three of the five people who got sick had testing that matched by genetic fingerprinting. This means they most likely got sick from the same source. Based on information collected, we found one common source for all sick people which was a store-made guacamole purchased at PCC Community Markets – West Seattle Co-op on February 10, 2024. Even though we think this is the most likely source of illness, we do not know for certain. We did not find out how the guacamole might have been contaminated with STEC and did not have any left to test. This outbreak appears to be over.

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Posted in E.coli O157, E.coli O157:H7, food bourne outbreak, Food Illness, Foodborne Illness, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Illness, outbreak, STEC, STEC E.coli, WGS, Whole Genomic Sequencing

Research – Multi-country Salmonella outbreak linked to chicken from Ukraine

Posted on March 24, 2024 by | Leave a comment

Food Safety News

More than 100 patients have been added to a multi-country Salmonella outbreak that began in 2021.

By mid-March 2024, 300 Salmonella Mbandaka patients have been reported, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).

The United Kingdom has the most cases with 173 and Finland has 98. France has 16, Ireland has seven, while a few have also been reported in Estonia, Germany, and the Netherlands.

Twenty-three patients were hospitalized, six in Finland had septicaemia and one person died in the UK. Patients range in age from less than 1 year old to 100 and 165 are females.

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Posted in ECDC, food bourne outbreak, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, outbreak, Salmonella, Salmonella in Chicken

UK – FSA probes E. coli outbreak with 5 sick; discusses foodborne disease – E.coli O157

Posted on March 22, 2024 by | Leave a comment

Food Safety News

Officials in the United Kingdom are looking into an E. coli outbreak linked to chili sticks that has affected five people.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA), Food Standards Scotland (FSS) and UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) are investigating the outbreak of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) O157 with five cases. Four sick people live in England and one in Scotland.

One person was hospitalized with illness linked to products from a Christmas market. Ongoing enquiries are concentrating on the supply of beef mince used in the product.

At the end of December 2023, Chiltern Artisan recalled its chili sticks because E. coli had been found in some of the products. The use-by date is also not always displayed on the packaging, according to the recall notice.

In December, Chiltern Artisan issued a statement for people who had bought its chili snap sticks between Oct. 14 and Dec. 24, 2023.

According to a message sent to the firm from an environmental health officer at Buckinghamshire Council, none of the patients were known to have consumed chili sticks or have any known links to Chiltern Artisan and spice samples were negative.

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Posted in E.coli O157, E.coli O157:H7, food bourne outbreak, Food Illness, Foodborne Illness, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Illness, outbreak, STEC, STEC E.coli

UK – Update on reporting of non-O157 STEC infections and an outbreak of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) O145 in the UK, February 2024

Posted on March 22, 2024 by | Leave a comment

Gov UK

In December 2023 the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) reported (1) unseasonably high levels of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli other than serogroup O157 (non-O157 STEC) case notifications during October to December of that year. Since then, reporting has returned to levels comparable with previous years. Investigations into the drivers of that unseasonal increase in reports of non-O157 STEC continue, as well as into individual outbreaks of STEC that were reported in the December 2023 report.

The investigations into the concurrent foodborne STEC O145: H28 outbreak associated with unpasteurised cheese – being undertaken by UKHSA, the Local Authority (LA) Environmental Health Team, Public Health Scotland (PHS), Food Standards Agency (FSA), Food Standards Scotland (FSS) and the Animal Plant Health Agency (APHA) – are nearly completed.

In total 36 confirmed cases and 1 probable case have been reported across England (n=29) and Scotland (n=8) since late July 2023, with most cases falling ill in November 2023. The last reported primary case had a symptom onset date of 23 December 2023 (see figure below).

Based on epidemiological, food chain and microbiological investigations, the vehicle was identified as an unpasteurised cheese produced in North West England. The food business concerned carried out a product withdrawal and recall on 24 December 2023 (2) and updated on 27 December 2023 (3) which ensured all recalled products were removed from sale in a timely manner.

Subsequent work between the food business, the LA Environmental Health team and the FSA allowed refinement of the product withdrawal and recall notice to include only the batches likely associated with illness, which resulted in a further update of the product withdrawal and recall by the food business on 9 February 2024 (4).

The FSA and FSS both published updated Product Recall Information Notices (PRIN’s) on 24 (2) and 27 December (3), and again on 9 February (4), with supporting news stories to amplify messaging about each of the product recalls.

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Posted in E.coli O145, E.coli O145:H28, food bourne outbreak, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, fsa, outbreak, STEC, STEC E.coli, UKHSA

UK – APHA sees Cryptosporidium workload rise but E. coli outbreaks fall.

Posted on March 21, 2024 by | Leave a comment

Food Safety News

crypto

The number of Cryptosporidium outbreaks involving an agency of the UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) increased in 2023.

The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) assisted with investigations into seven Cryptosporidium parvum outbreaks linked to an animal origin. Five were in England and two were in Wales. One outbreak of cryptosporidiosis was epidemiologically linked to a milk vending machine.

Of the other human outbreaks, three were epidemiologically linked to open farms, two to commercial farms, and one to a farm shop which had animals on site.

E.coli

APHA was also part of investigations into two Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) outbreaks in 2023 which were epidemiologically linked to separate animal-contact visitor attractions.

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Posted in Cryptosporidiosis, Cryptosporidium, food bourne outbreak, Food Illness, Food Microbiology Research, Foodborne Illness, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Illness, outbreak, Petting Farm, Research, STEC, STEC E.coli