Category Archives: food death

Africa – A look at how Africa is tackling foodborne illness

Posted on February 7, 2019 by | Leave a comment

DW.COM

CDC E.coli

Image CDC

 

Contaminated food poses a major health and economic threat to sub-Saharan Africa. While efforts are taken to provide safe food for exports, governments are reijigging the system to do more for domestic markets.

Small flies can be seen buzzing around many food markets. But the threat they bring is not visible to the naked eye.

Houseflies, infected with salmonella, E. coli and other bacteria, can contaminate food and cause serious gastro-intestinal illnesses. In Uganda’s popular pork snack bars, for example, one-third of raw pork sampled for a study by the International Livestock Research Institute tested positive for salmonella.

Foodborne diseases, either caused by pests, pesticides or improper storage, pose a major health threat to sub-Saharan Africa, which suffers the highest levels of foodborne illness anywhere in the world.

More than 91 million people in the region fall ill every year from eating contaminated food and 137,000 die as a result, according to the World Health Organization.

 

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Posted in E.coli, food bourne outbreak, food contamination, food death, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Pathogen, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Testing, Food Toxin, Salmonella, Uncategorized

Research – Zoonotic Source Attribution of Salmonella enterica Serotype Typhimurium Using Genomic Surveillance Data, United States

Posted on February 7, 2019 by | Leave a comment

CDC

Salmonellaa

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Increasingly, routine surveillance and monitoring of foodborne pathogens using whole-genome sequencing is creating opportunities to study foodborne illness epidemiology beyond routine outbreak investigations and case–control studies. Using a global phylogeny of Salmonella entericaserotype Typhimurium, we found that major livestock sources of the pathogen in the United States can be predicted through whole-genome sequencing data. Relatively steady rates of sequence divergence in livestock lineages enabled the inference of their recent origins. Elevated accumulation of lineage-specific pseudogenes after divergence from generalist populations and possible metabolic acclimation in a representative swine isolate indicates possible emergence of host adaptation. We developed and retrospectively applied a machine learning Random Forest classifier for genomic source prediction of Salmonella Typhimurium that correctly attributed 7 of 8 major zoonotic outbreaks in the United States during 1998–2013. We further identified 50 key genetic features that were sufficient for robust livestock source prediction.

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Posted in food bourne outbreak, food contamination, food death, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Pathogen, Food Safety, Food Testing, foodborne disease, Foodborne Illness, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Salmonella, Uncategorized

Canada – Raw Chicken Salmonella Outbreak in Canada Grows to 529 Sick

Posted on February 1, 2019 by | Leave a comment

Food Poisoning Bulletin

 

A raw chicken Salmonella outbreak in Canada has grown to include 529 laboratory-confirmed illnesses. Ninety people have been hospitalized, and three people have died. However, Salmonella was not the case of death for two of those patients, and it was not determined whether this illness contributed to the death of the third person.

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Posted in food bourne outbreak, food contamination, food death, 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, foodborne disease, Foodborne Illness, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Salmonella, Uncategorized

USA – Outbreak of Multidrug-Resistant Salmonella Infections Linked to Raw Turkey Products – Update

Posted on February 1, 2019 by | Leave a comment

CDC

Latest Outbreak Information

Illustration of a megaphone.

At A Glance

  • Since the last update on November 8, 2018, 52 ill people from 26 states and the District of Columbia have been added to this investigation.
  • As of December 18, 2018, 216 people infected with the outbreak strain of SalmonellaReading have been reported from 38 states and the District of Columbia.
    • 84 people have been hospitalized, and one death has been reported from California.
  • Epidemiologic and laboratory evidence indicates that raw turkey products from a variety of sources are contaminated with Salmonella Reading and are making people sick.
  • In interviews, ill people report eating different types and brands of turkey products purchased from many different locations. Three ill people lived in households where raw turkey pet food was fed to pets.
  • The outbreak strain has been identified in samples taken from raw turkey pet food, raw turkey products, and live turkeys.
    • On November 15, 2018, Jennie-O Turkey Store Sales in Barron, Wisconsin recalled approximately 91,388 pounds of raw ground turkey products.
    • On December 21, 2018, Jennie-O Turkey Store Sales, LLC, in Faribault, Minnesota recalled approximately 164,210 pounds of raw ground turkey products.
    • On January 28, 2019, Woody’s Pet Food Deli in Minnesota recalled raw turkey pet food. The recalled product was sold in 5-pound plastic containers labeled “Woody’s Pet Food Deli Raw Free Range Turkey” and was sold in Minnesota.
    • A single, common supplier of raw turkey products or of live turkeys has not been identified that could account for the whole outbreak.
  • The Public Health Agency of Canada has identified ill people infected with the same DNA fingerprint of Salmonella Reading bacteria in Canada.
  • The outbreak strain of Salmonella Reading is present in live turkeys and in many types of raw turkey products, indicating it might be widespread in the turkey industry. CDC and USDA-FSIS have shared this information with representatives from the turkey industry and asked about steps that they may be taking to reduce Salmonella contamination.

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Posted in food bourne outbreak, food contamination, food death, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Pathogen, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, foodborne disease, Foodborne Illness, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Salmonella, Uncategorized

USA – Recalls of hazardous meat and poultry up 83 percent since 2013, report finds

Posted on January 21, 2019 by | Leave a comment

CBS

Recalls of hazardous meat and poultry have gone up by more than 80 percent in the last six years, according to a new report out Thursday morning. One in six Americans get sick every year from eating contaminated food leading to at least 3,000 deaths per year – 450 from salmonella alone.

“Something is rotten in our slaughterhouses and our fields, and so common sense protections from farm to fork can help prevent that,” said Adam Garber, a researcher for the U.S. Public Interest Research Group, the organization behind the report.

It found recalls of produce and processed food by the FDA increased about two percent from 2013 to 2018 and the most hazardous meat and poultry recalls by the USDA increased by 83 percent.

The report recommends the FDA require testing “water used for irrigation or watering of produce for hazardous pathogens” like E. coli and for meat and poultry products, declare when “antibiotic resistant strains of salmonella as an adulterant” are found.

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Posted in E.coli, food contamination, food death, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Pathogen, Food Safety, Food Testing, Food Toxin, Salmonella, Uncategorized

USA – CDC Reports Romaine Lettuce Outbreak Over – E.coli

Posted on January 11, 2019 by | Leave a comment

Food Safety Tech Eurofins Food Testing UK

Although FDA is continuing its investigation into the source of the E.coli outbreak involving romaine lettuce grown in California, the CDC has declared the outbreak over. Contaminated romaine that caused illnesses should no longer be available, FDA stated in an outbreak update. Consumers will not need to avoid romaine lettuce, and retailers and restaurants do not need to avoid selling or serving the product, according to the agency. Suppliers and distributors need not avoid shipping or selling any romaine that is on the market either.

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

Cambodia – Two South Korean students die of suspected food poisoning

Posted on January 11, 2019 by | Leave a comment

Khmer Times

Medical doctors are seeking the cause of the death of two South Korean female students who died on Wednesday afternoon and Thursday morning over suspected food and water poisoning in Phnom Penh.

The victims in their 20 and 21 were among the 16 volunteer students and three professors from Konyang University who built facilities or products for rural people from Monday to January 19, according to an official at the South Korean embassy.

The official said that the victims and two more other friends were eating pizzas and drink beers at a foreign-owned restaurant in front of the hotel after having their dinner on Monday night.

“Except for the two, the students are known to have no health problems. The students explained that they had immunized against malaria, typhoid and tetanus before going to Cambodia,” the official said.

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Posted in food contamination, food death, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Pathogen, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Testing, Food Toxin, Uncategorized

Information – The Contagion® Outbreak Monitor

Posted on January 11, 2019 by | Leave a comment

Contagion Live

I came across this which is quite an interesting tool for looking at outbreaks.

cm

 

The Contagion® Outbreak Monitor provides details on the number of confirmed cases, deaths, and recent website articles on infectious disease outbreaks.
Use the Contagion® Outbreak Monitor to learn about infectious disease outbreaks in your geographical region and manipulate the map to find out the latest information on global outbreaks. Click on “Trends” to learn more about trends in the number of cases and deaths.

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Posted in food bourne outbreak, food contamination, food death, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Pathogen, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Testing, foodborne disease, Foodborne Illness, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Uncategorized

USA – Peanut Corporation of America: 10 Years Later after the Salmonella Outbreak

Posted on January 4, 2019 by | Leave a comment

Food Processing

Salmoella kswfoodworld

 

Ten years ago, one of the most extensive food recalls in the U.S. forced more than 360 companies to recall more than 3,900 peanut products across 46 states. One company, the Peanut Corp. of America (PCA) was the cause in what eventually became one of the most massive and lethal foodborne contamination cases in the U.S., killing nine and sickening thousands.

The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), signed into law by President Obama in 2011, was enacted in large part in response to the PCA recall. FSMA shifted the focus to preventing outbreaks rather than just reacting to them. The law requires that companies implement best practices to prevent hazards that may be introduced as part of the manufacturing or packaging process.

Despite the advent of FSMA, food safety in the U.S. continues to be an issue. The recent romaine lettuce recalls have sickened hundreds. There have been bats found in bags of salad and golf ball remains identified in frozen hash browns. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that more than 48 million Americans get sick each year, 128,000 are hospitalized and 3,000 die due to foodborne illnesses.

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Posted in food contamination, food death, 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, Salmonella, Uncategorized

USA – Notable Outbreaks and Recalls of 2018 – A Busy Year!

Posted on December 31, 2018 by | Leave a comment

Food Safety Tech

Image CDC

 

As stated by CDC’s John Besser, Ph.D. last month at the Food Safety Consortium, “It’s been quite a year for outbreaks.” Here’s a not-so-fond look back at some of the noteworthy outbreaks and recalls of 2018.

Romaine Lettuce –E.coli O157:H7

Raw Beef Products – Salmonella

Shell Eggs – Salmonella

Pre-cut Melon – Salmonella

Vegetable Trays – Cyclospora

Salad Mix – Cyclospora

Raw Turkey – Salmonella

Honey Smacks Cereal – Salmonella

Duncan Hines Cake Mix – Salmonella

Johnston County Hams – Listeria monocytogenes

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Posted in Cyclospora, E.coli, E.coli O157, E.coli O157:H7, food bourne outbreak, food contamination, food death, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Pathogen, Food Poisoning, food recall, Food Safety, Food Testing, Food Toxin, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, outbreak, Salmonella, Uncategorized