The Health Protection Agency (HPA) is aware of seven confirmed and one possible case of Legionnaires’ disease in people who have stayed or visited Blanes in Costa Brava. Cases are from Spain, the Netherlands and Latvia. The age range of the patients, who are all recovering, is from 48 to 82 years. There are no UK cases associated with this outbreak.
The Health Protection Agency (HPA) is investigating a string of E. coli cases among visitors to a West Midlands park.
Seven people have been infected by the 0157 strain of E. coli at Sutton Park in Sutton Coldfield over July and August.
Five of the cases involved children under eight years old, the HPA said. All patients have since recovered.
Posters and leaflets have been issued, but the HPA said parents may want to use other parks for the time being.
Dr Roger Gajraj, a consultant with the HPA’s West Midlands East Health Protection Unit (HPU) said: “E. coli O157 can be very serious in young children and can in some instances cause kidney failure.”
The HPA said E. coli O157 was often associated with contact with animals and rural areas that may have been contaminated by animal faeces.
Posted in Bacteria, E.coli, E.coli O157, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Hygiene, HPA, Hygiene, Illness, Microbiology, outbreak, Pathogen
A Minnesota-based company is recalling sits fresh cut fruit products because they contain cantaloupes that may be contaminated with Salmonella.
Mangoes from Mexico linked to a nationwide Salmonella outbreak have been added to the federal import alert list – meaning that districts can detain them without inspection.
Federal health officials say ricotta cheese tainted with listeria bacteria is linked to 14 illnesses including at least one death.
The imported Italian ricotta salata cheese distributed by Forever Cheese Inc. of New York is linked to illnesses in 11 states and the District of Columbia, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Forever Cheese issued a recall of one lot — 800 wheels of ricotta salata, or roughly 4,800 pounds — on Monday.
The cheese was distributed to retail stores and restaurants in California, Colorado, the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Washington between June 20 and Aug. 9.
It was not immediately clear how many deaths were caused by the listeria outbreak. The CDC said listeriosis contributed to “at least one” of two deaths in New York and Nebraska but did not elaborate. A spokeswoman for the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene said Wednesday the department was investigating a death linked to the listeria and a spokeswoman for the Nebraska Department of Health said the same strain had contributed to the death of a woman in her 80s.
A third deceased person in Minnesota was infected with listeriosis linked to the cheese but that was not thought to be the primary cause of the person’s death, a spokesman for the Minnesota Department of Health said.
Three people from Maryland reported becoming ill from the strain of listeria linked to the ricotta. One person each from California, Colorado, the District of Columbia, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Virginia also reported an illness. Two of the illnesses were in newborn babies, the CDC said.
Posted in Bacteria, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Foodborne Illness, Hygiene, Listeria, Microbiology, outbreak, Pathogen, Recall
Tagged department of health and mental hygiene, food, ricotta salata cheese
3fish of North Carolina is recalling all of their seafood cakes and stuffed fish products that contain Gills onions because they may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. The onion recall started on July 19, 2012 and expanded several times over the summer.
The recalled items were sold along the east coast and repackaged by individual stores. The products were sold to Harris Teeter, Ingles, MDI (Merchants Distributors Inc), and US Foodservice. Only products with use-by dates between 9/10/2012 and 9/15/2012 are included in the recall.
Forever Cheese inc. is recalling all Ricotta Salata Frescolina brand, Forever Cheese lot # T9425 and/or production code 441202, from one specific production date due to possible Listeria Monocytogenes contamination, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Although healthy individuals may suffer only short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea, Listeria infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women.
The cheese was sold to distributors for retailers and restaurants in CA, CO, D.C., FL, GA, IL, IN, MA, MD, ME, MT, NJ, NM, NY, OH, OR, PA, VA, WA between June 20 and August 9, 2012. Products were sold to supermarkets, restaurants and wholesale distributors.
An outbreak of salmonella linked to watermelons has claimed the life of one person and infected over 30 others in the UK.
The East of England has seen more cases of the food poisoning than other areas of the country, and seventy per cent of those affected are women. The person who died, who has not been named, had “serious underlying health complications”
Of the cases confirmed so far, 26 have been in England, three have been in Wales, one has been in Northern Ireland and four have been in Scotland. Five cases have also been confirmed in the Republic of Ireland and 15 have been confirmed in Germany.
The ages of people affected in England, Wales and Northern Ireland range from six months to 85 years.
The strain of salmonella found is called ‘salmonella Newport’. Symptoms include diarrhoea, vomiting, abdominal pain and fever.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC) has issued an investigation update on the Norovirus outbreak on the Dawn Princess cruise ship. The ship of part of the Princess Cruises cruise line.
Voyage dates were August 21 to September 13, 2012. The number of passengers on the ship is 1,778, and crew members is 851. The passengers who reported being ill numbered 114, or 6.41%, and the number of crew who reported being ill numbered 11, or 1.29%. The symptoms of vomiting and diarrhea are consistent with Norovirus infection
