Category Archives: food death

France – Emergency Serious food poisoning: 10 cases of botulism, including 8 hospitalized and 1 death, linked to visiting a restaurant in Bordeaux

Posted on September 14, 2023 by | Leave a comment

Sante Publique

kswfoodworld

The health authorities, in conjunction with Public Health France and the National Reference Center for Botulism (Institut Pasteur) recommend that people who have visited the Bordeaux establishment Tchin Tchin Wine Bar (3 Rue Emile Duployé, 33000 Bordeaux) between Monday 4 and Sunday September 10, 2023 to consult a doctor urgently or to contact the 15th, mentioning cases of botulism, in the event of symptoms appearing after this attendance.

The people concerned all frequented the same restaurant-bar in Bordeaux, the Tchin Tchin Wine Bar, over the last week. The suspected foods are at this stage canned sardines in oil homemade by the restaurateur and served between September 4 and 10, 2023 in this Bordeaux restaurant. 

Botulism is a serious disease (fatal in 5 to 10% of cases) whose incubation time can range from a few hours to a few days. 
Symptoms include, to varying degrees: early digestive signs which may be fleeting (abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea), eye damage (failure to accommodate, blurred or double vision), dry mouth accompanied by a lack of swallowing or even speech, or neurological symptoms (wrong paths, more or less severe paralysis of the muscles). There is usually no fever.

If you have symptoms, consult a doctor urgently or contact 15, mentioning cases of botulism.

What are the possible sources of contamination?

Botulism is a serious neurological condition caused by a very potent toxin produced by the bacteria Clostridium botulinum. It develops particularly in poorly preserved foods. In France, the majority of cases of botulism correspond to food poisoning, by ingestion of the toxin produced by C. botulinum in preserved foods that have not undergone an extensive sterilization process: cured meats, cold meats or even family-made preserves. or artisanal.

It is the extremely powerful toxin that it synthesizes that is responsible for the disease.

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Posted in Clostridium, Clostridium botulinum, Death, food bourne outbreak, food death, Food Illness, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Poisoning, Food Poisoning Death, Foodborne Illness, Foodborne Illness Death, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Illness, microbial contamination, Microbial growth, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Microbiology Risk, outbreak, Poisoning

USA – Summary of Possible Multistate Enteric (Intestinal) Disease Outbreaks in 2021

Posted on August 30, 2023 by | Leave a comment

CDC

Outbreak Investigations At A Glance

Possible Multistate Outbreaks

This analysis includes 135 possible multistate outbreak investigations during 2021.

This analysis includes 135 investigations of possible multistate enteric (intestinal) outbreaks during 2021. Some possible outbreaks were excluded from this report because they were determined to be single state or because they were linked to international travel. After investigation, 74 (55%) of these were determined to be multistate outbreaks, and investigators solved 47 (64%) of these outbreaks.

Multistate Outbreaks

74 (55%) of the 135 investigations were determined to be multistate outbreaks.

The number of outbreaks increased from 2020 but was lower than the 82 investigated outbreaks in 2019. The number of outbreaks investigated in 2021 was likely lower than that in 2019 due in part to continued effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on enteric disease outbreak detection and investigation (e.g., decreased resources at local, state, and federal public health agencies, changes in healthcare-seeking behavior, and changed restaurant dining and grocery shopping patterns.) Additionally, changing diagnostic testing practices likely continued to affect enteric disease surveillance and the ability to identify possible outbreaks.

The 74 investigated multistate outbreaks resulted in 3,615 illnesses, 1,011 hospitalizations, and 26 deaths

Solved Multistate Outbreaks

Among the 74 investigated multistate outbreaks, 47 (64%) were solved, including 25 outbreaks with confirmed sources and 22 with suspected sources.

Among the 74 multistate outbreaks, 47 (64%) were solved, meaning a confirmed or suspected source of the outbreak was identified, including 25 (53%) outbreaks with confirmed sources and 22 (47%) with suspected sources. Among the 47 solved outbreaks, 28 (60%) were linked to contaminated foods, and 19 (40%) were linked to animal contact.

Solved multistate outbreaks caused at least 2,047 illnesses. Solved multistate outbreaks linked to contaminated food caused 1,740 illnesses, 496 hospitalizations, and 15 deaths, while multistate outbreaks linked to animal contact caused 1,307 illnesses, 329 hospitalizations, and 3 deaths.

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Posted in CDC, Death, E.coli, food bourne outbreak, food death, Food Illness, Food Poisoning Death, Foodborne Illness, Foodborne Illness Death, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Illness, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, outbreak, Salmonella

India – Food Poisoning Kills Two Passengers On Board Kota-Patna Express, Six More Critical

Posted on August 22, 2023 by | Leave a comment

The News Agency

Two passengers on board the Kota-Patna Express died late on Sunday when the train stopped at Agra. According to information available, the deceased dup was part of a 90-member contingent which was headed for a pilgrimage to Mathura. Condition of five more is critical and they are undergoing treatment at the Railway Hospital in the Taj city.

Their postmortem has been done and food poisoning seems to be the cause behind the severe dehydration which led to their deaths. The actual cause of death will be known after the report comes, officials said.

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Posted in Death, food death, Food Poisoning, Food Poisoning Death

UK -FSA assesses the use of Listeria guidance after the outbreak

Posted on August 21, 2023 by | Leave a comment

Food Safety News

Most hospitals and social care sites are aware of Listeria guidance from the Food Standards Agency (FSA) but an analysis has found several challenges around implementation.

In a 2019 outbreak associated with pre-packed sandwiches supplied to hospitals in England, seven patients died of listeriosis.

Following this incident, the FSA said it would review its 2016 listeriosis guidance. The research was commissioned to look at awareness, implementation, and perceived effectiveness of the guidance, including barriers to implementing it in full.

The recent report covers findings from 39 respondents within National Health Service (NHS) Trusts and 445 from Health and Social Care (non-NHS Trust) settings, such as nursing homes, home care service providers and hospices, in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland.

An online survey was sent to all NHS Trusts in the three nations between November and December 2021. In the majority of cases, the survey was completed by the catering manager, who was responsible for food safety. IFF Research carried out the survey of non-NHS settings by telephone. Fieldwork took place in August and September 2022. IFF Research interviewed the person with overall responsibility for food safety — this was often the general manager.

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Posted in Death, food death, Foodborne Illness Death, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, outbreak

Spain sees E. coli and Listeria infections rise in 2022

Posted on August 21, 2023 by | Leave a comment

Food Safety News

Spain recorded an increase in E. coli and Listeria infections in 2022, according to recently released figures.

In 2022, 633 Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) infections were reported, as well as eight imported cases. This includes 620 confirmed and 13 probable cases. The number rose from 426 cases in 2021.

The highest incidences in 2022 were observed in children younger than 5 years of age, being higher in girls than in boys, according to data from the National Epidemiological Surveillance Network (RENAVE).

A total of 134 hospitalizations were reported and six people developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). HUS is a severe complication associated with E. coli infections that causes kidney failure. Four of these were younger than the age of 3, one was 10 years old, and the other was an 84-year-old adult.

Three deaths were recorded: one child younger than 3 years old who had HUS, and two adults aged 65 and 93.

For imported cases, two were younger than 10 years of age, and the rest were aged between 22 and 60.

Information on serogroup causing infection was available in 80 cases of which 67 corresponded to O157. One was O107, another was O128 and 11 were recorded as non-O157.

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Posted in Death, E.coli O128, E.coli O157, E.coli O157:H7, food death, Food Illness, Foodborne Illness, Foodborne Illness Death, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Illness, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, O107, outbreak, STEC, STEC E.coli

USA – Tacoma restaurant’s milkshakes linked to listeria outbreak that killed 3

Posted on August 21, 2023 by | Leave a comment

Komo News

OLYMPIA, Wash. — Listeria bacteria found in the milkshakes at a Tacoma restaurant have been linked by health officials to an outbreak that hospitalized six people and killed three.

According to the Washington State Department of Health (DOH), investigators found foodborne listeriosis in the ice cream machines at Frugals, located at 10727 Pacific Avenue South. The machines were not cleaned correctly, and no other Frugals restaurant are believed to be affected, the DOH said.

The Tacoma Frugals stopped using its ice cream machines on Aug. 8, but listeria can affect people up to 70 days later, the DOH said.

Genetic fingerprinting of bacteria in the shakes showed the same strain of listeria that hospitalized six people — five from Pierce County and one from Thurston County — between Feb. 27 and July 22, according to the DOH. All six had conditions that made their immune systems “less able to fight the disease,” the DOH said. Three of the six died, the DOH added, and two people who were hospitalized but survived said they ate the milkshakes before getting sick.

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Posted in Death, food death, Food Illness, Foodborne Illness, Foodborne Illness Death, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Illness, Listeria, Listeria Ice Cream, Listeria monocytogenes, outbreak

UK – Rare E. coli type behind deadly UK outbreak; 2 dozen sick – E.coli O183

Posted on August 2, 2023 by | Leave a comment

Food Safety News

One person has died in an E. coli outbreak being investigated by health authorities in the United Kingdom.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) and UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) are trying to find the source of the ongoing Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) O183 outbreak with the help of other public health agencies.

There are 24 cases in the UK, with 19 in England, two each in Northern Ireland and Scotland, and one in Wales since May. For patients with available information, onset dates range from May 23 to July 2.

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Posted in Death, Decontamination Microbial, E.coli O183, food bourne outbreak, food death, Food Illness, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, Foodborne Illness, Foodborne Illness Death, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Illness, microbial contamination, Microbial growth, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Microbiology Risk, outbreak

USA – Man dies after contracting flesh-eating bacteria from raw oysters – Vibrio vulnificus

Posted on June 21, 2023 by | Leave a comment

National Post

A Missouri man died after contracting a flesh-eating bacteria from eating raw oysters from a seafood stand, U.S. health officials said.

The 54-year-old man, whom authorities have not publicly identified, became infected after he ate oysters bought from The Fruit Stand & Seafood in Manchester, Mo., the St. Louis County Public Health Department said last week.

He died after being infected with the bacteria Vibrio vulnificus, which is contracted by consuming raw or undercooked oysters and other shellfish.

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Posted in Death, food death, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, Foodborne Illness Death, microbial contamination, Microbial growth, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Microbiology Risk, Vibrio, Vibrio vulnificans, Vibrio vulnificus

Viet Nam – HCMC botulism patient dies before receiving antitoxin sent from Switzerland

Posted on May 26, 2023 by | Leave a comment

e-vnexpress

The World Health Organization has dispatched rare drug to HCMC to treat patients critically ill with botulism after eating pork bologna and fermented food, but one died shortly after it arrived.

Sent from Switzerland, six vials of botulism antitoxin heptavalent (BAT) arrived on Wednesday to be administered to the three men, aged 18, 26 and 45, the Ministry of Health said.

Two of them are under treatment at Cho Ray Hospital and the other at Gia Dinh Hospital.

But the 45-year-old patient at Gia Dinh died on Wednesday night before he was injected with the drug, the hospital announced Thursday morning.

Produced by Emergent BioSolutions Canada Inc., the drug effectively neutralizes all known botulinum nerve toxin serotypes. Without it, botulism patients could be paralyzed permanently.

Between May 13 and 20 six people in Thu Duc City suffered from botulinum poisoning, five after eating pork bologna sold by street vendors and one due to eating a type of fermented food.

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Posted in Bacterial Toxin, Clostridium, Clostridium botulinum, Death, Decontamination Microbial, food death, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Poisoning Death, microbial contamination, Microbial growth, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Microbiology Risk

Research “Forbidden Fish”: Did King Henry I Die of Lamprey Poisoning or Listeria monocytogenes?

Posted on May 23, 2023 by | Leave a comment

Cureus

Abstract

For centuries, the sudden and mysterious death of King Henry I has been attributed to a large meal of lampreys that accidentally poisoned the unfortunate monarch. In this article, we conclude that lampreys were likely not the cause of the king’s illness, nor is it likely that he was deliberately poisoned. Although a wide variety of abdominal pathologies could have been responsible, we suggest that a sporadic central nervous system (CNS) infection of Listeria monocytogenes appears to be the most likely cause of Henry’s death, correlating with both his symptoms and rapid decline.

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Posted in Decontamination Microbial, food death, Food Illness, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, Foodborne Illness, Foodborne Illness Death, Illness, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, microbial contamination, Microbial growth, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Microbiology Risk