Category Archives: Food Illness

Research – Source of 7-year Listeria outbreak found in Germany

Food Safety News

German officials believe they have solved a seven-year Listeria outbreak that included the death of one man.

Using next generation sequencing (NGS) methods, the Bavarian State Office for Health and Food Safety (LGL) helped identify a likely connection between Listeria infections in Lower Bavaria and in the district of Altötting since 2015 and a food company.

The company was not named by authorities but they described it as a small businesses in the district of Passau that had various customers in the region. Local media reported it was a produce company that supplied canteens and care homes but not retailers.

Alongside the results from the NGS analysis, there are indications of an epidemiological connection to those sick based on the sales area.

India – 15 students fall ill after suspected food poisoning in UP residential school

India Tv News

Food poisoning in school: At least 15 girl students of a residential school in Uttar Pradesh’s Saharanpur district were admitted to a community health centre following complaints of vomiting and uneasiness, a senior official said on Monday.

The incident took place on Sunday at the Kasturba Gandhi Residential School in Mehngi village, District Magistrate Akhilesh Singh said. Among the 15, condition of three was stated to be serious, he said, adding prima facie it appears to be a case of food poisoning.

A magisterial probe has been ordered into the matter by Additional District Magistrate, Administration, Chief Medical Officer and district basic education officer. The team of officers will give their report within 48 hours, the DM said.

USA – Big Olaf Ice Cream Listeria Outbreak Joins List of Other Brands

Food Poisoning Bulletin

The Big Olaf Ice Cream Listeria monocytogenes outbreak joins a list of other brands that have caused illnesses over the past decade. The CDC has named Big Olaf ice cream in the new outbreak centered in Florida that has sickened at least 23 people. A recall has not been issued, but the company is contacting their customers to “recommend” against selling their products.

Big Olaf ice cream is only sold in Florida, where most of the ill persons live. And among the 82% of patients who ate ice cream before they got sick and were interviewed by government officials, six said they ate Big Olaf Creamery brand ice cream or ate at restaurants where that ice cream was served.

Over the years there have been dozens of recalls of ice cream for possible Listeria contamination. In fact, in 2019 the FDA improved ice cream production safety after a string of recalls for Listeria monocytogenes contamination. During an investigation that year, the FDA found Listeria monocytogenes in 19 of the 89 ice cream establishments, and in 65 of the 5,295 subsamples.

India – Bihar: Over 24 students contract food poisoning after consuming mid-day meal

Times Now News

Bhagalpur: Over two dozen students in Jhallu Das Tola Middle School contracted food poisoning after consuming mid-day meals in Bihar‘s Bhagalpur district, reported IANS.
Following the incident, the district civil surgeon, sub-divisional officer, district education officer, block development officer, and police personnel of Naugachia reached the hospital and took stock of the situation.
According to officials, the school administration had prepared rice, pulses, and vegetables inside the school premises. After consuming the meal and entering the classroom, more than two dozen students between the age group of 10 to 14 complained about vomiting and loose motion, reported IANS.

Spain – Seven face charges in deadly Listeria outbreak in Spain

Food Safety News

Seven people are set to stand trial as part of Spain’s largest ever Listeria outbreak, which occurred in 2019.

A judge in a court in Seville this week decided to continue proceedings against seven defendants for offences including alleged crimes against public health and injury to a fetus resulting in abortion. At the conclusion of an investigation into the outbreak, Pilar Ordóñez also considered that Seville Council could be held civilly liable, this means it would have to pay compensation if convicted.

The outbreak from “La Mecha” brand chilled roasted pork produced by Magrudis affected almost 250 people. During the health alert between mid-August and mid-October 2019, four people died and there were six abortions.

Those investigated are José Antonio Marín Ponce, administrator of Magrudis; his wife, Encarnación Rodríguez Jiménez, responsible for production and the company’s self-control system; their children Sandro José and Mario Marín Rodríguez as well as a local veterinary inspector and two other people. Action against another four people has been stopped.

USA – FDA Core Outbreak Table

FDA

Date
Posted
Ref Pathogen or
Cause of Illness

Product(s)
Linked to
Illnesses

(if any)
Total
Case Count

Status
6/29/

2022

1076 Not Yet Identified Frozen Food 107 adverse event reports Active
6/22/

2022

1075 Salmonella
Braenderup
Not Yet Identified 42 Active
6/22/

2022

1072 Salmonella
Paratyphi B var. L(+) tartrate+
Not Yet Identified 14 Active
6/15/

2022

1070 Listeria
monocytogenes
Not Yet Identified 12 Active
6/8/

2022

1068 E. coli
O157:H7
Not Yet Identified 10 Active
6/1/

2022

1066 Hepatitis A Virus Strawberries See Outbreak
Advisory
Active
5/25/

2022

1067 Salmonella 
Senftenberg
Peanut Butter See Outbreak Advisory Active
4/20/

2022

1064 Not Yet
Identified
Dry Cereal 558 adverse
event reports
Active
4/13/

2022

1057 Listeria
monocytogenes
Not Yet
Identified
22 Active
3/30/

2022

1060 None
Identified
Meal Replacement
Drink
6 adverse
event reports
Closed
3/16/

2022

1055 Salmonella
Saintpaul
Not Identified 60 Closed
2/17/

2022

1056 Cronobacter
sakazakii
Powdered
Infant
Formula
See
Advisory
Active (IMG)
2/9/

2022

1040 Listeria
monocytogenes
Not Identified 20 Closed
2/2/

2022

1054 Enteroinvasive
E. coli
O143:H26
Not
Identified
16 Closed
1/10/

2022

1050 E. coli
O121:H19
Romaine 4 Closed

India – 120 students taken ill after food poisoning at Siddipet

The Hindu

As many as 120 students studying in the minority residential girls high school at Siddipet took ill on Monday evening. Many of them were shifted to the government hospital where they are undergoing treatment.

According to sources, after having lunch in the afternoon, some students started vomiting and had loose motions. For some time the issue was kept a secret and they tried to hush it up. However, as the situation went out of control, the students were shifted to government hospital for treatment.

UK – Retired retail manager, 63, died of Salmonella after eating four fried duck eggs he had bought at country show, inquest hears

Daily Mail

A retired retail manager sadly died from one of the worst salmonella infections a consultant had seen in his career after eating four duck eggs bought at a country show.

Niptoon Tavakoli, 65, died in hospital two months after he was taken ill in June 2019, an inquest jury heard today.

Mr Tavakoli’s wife Cheryl told Doncaster Coroner’s Court that they had bought six eggs from the Melton Mowbray Deli stall at Messingham Show, in North Lincolnshire, during a family day out on Sunday, June 2, 2019.

China – 200 kindergarten children suffered symptoms of food poisoning, parents want investigation

The BL

According to a report by China Economic Weekly on June 24, nearly 200 children at the “Jiedibao Wanke Golden Joy City Kindergarten” in Xi’an, Shaanxi Province, suffered symptoms of food poisoning on June 17 and needed medical attention. Some remained hospitalized for a week.

As reported by Chinanews.com, a Lianhu District Education Bureau staff member said that the illness was initially determined to be caused by a salmonella infection but should await official confirmation.

According to Wang, a parent of one child, more than 200 children at Jiedibao Wanke Kindergarten developed different degrees of food poisoning. The symptoms were high fever, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. In the most severe cases, blood in the stool and coma.

Nepal – Nepalese cholera outbreak: Kathmandu bans Panipuri

World Akkam

Kathmandu, June 26: Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal, is currently facing another outbreak of cholera. As of Sunday, at least 12 people have been infected with the disease, and authorities are struggling to contain the outbreak.

Cases of cholera have been found in several parts of the city, and health authorities have not yet identified the source. It was found that the water sources in many areas contained Vibrio cholerae.

Meanwhile, Kathmandu’s affiliated city, Lalitpur, has banned the sale of Panipuri and chat from Sunday for fear of cholera.

Lalitpur Metropolitan City (LMC) has decided to stop selling and distributing Panipuri and Chatpate in big cities from Saturday. LMC has banned the sale of Panipuri and Chapati, claiming that Vibrio cholerae was found in the water used in Panipuri.