Category Archives: Food Illness

USA – CDC and FDA report Salmonella Outbreak linked to Frozen Shrimp

Posted on June 28, 2021 by | Leave a comment

Food Poison Journal

The Salmonella Shrimp Outbreak

As of June 25, 2021, six people infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Weltevreden have been reported from two states – Arizona and Nevada (see map). Illnesses started on dates ranging from February 26, 2021, to April 25, 2021 (see timeline).

Sick people range in age from 30 to 80 years, with a median age of 56 years, and 66% are female. Of five people with information available, two have been hospitalized. No deaths have been reported.

The true number of sick people in an outbreak is likely much higher than the number reported, and the outbreak may not be limited to the states with known illnesses. This is because many people recover without medical care and are not tested for Salmonella. In addition, recent illnesses may not yet be reported as it usually takes 3 to 4 weeks to determine if a sick person is part of an outbreak.

Leave a comment

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

Finland – At least a hundred children became ill with diarrhea, the cause was revealed Salmonella – “There are likely to be more cases,” says the doctor

Posted on June 28, 2021 by | Leave a comment

YLE

Young children in particular have been suffering from diarrhea in Central Finland since last week. Diarrhea has been increasing in various parts of the province, and the pediatric ward of the Central Hospital of Central Finland has been filled with symptomatic children.

All the cases we know are united by the fact that the patients are children in care in kindergartens, but the children have been in care in different kindergartens, says Mia Kapanen , the leading environmental health inspector for environmental health in the Jyväskylä region.

– Food is brought to these kindergartens from somewhere else. We still don’t know if all kindergartens bring food from the same place, Mia Kapanen explains.

“But already on Thursday, it has been possible to rule out that the disease does not come from drinking or bathing water,” he continues.

– It strongly seems that the salomella bacterium has been in the food available on Friday, Kapanen states and justifies the matter with the salmonella bacterium’s germination period of a few days and the fact that children’s illnesses have been detected in the early part of the Midsummer week.

However, with 100% certainty, the origin of salmonella infection may not be clear. The bacterium may be present in food that came in different batches and the contaminated batch may not have ended up in a frozen safety sample.

Leave a comment

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

Ukraine- Botulism case reported in Melitopol, Ukraine, Linked to smoked mackerel

Posted on June 28, 2021 by | Leave a comment

Outbreak News Today

kswfoodworld

On June 21, 2021, a case of botulism – food poisoning was registered in Melitopol- a city in Zaporizhzhia Oblast of southeastern Ukraine, according to the city health department.

The patient is a 65-year-old man who bought cold-smoked mackerel in a retail chain and consumed it himself on June 18-19, 2021.

Leave a comment

Posted in Bacterial Toxin, Biotoxin, botulism, Clostridium botulinum, Exotoxin, food contamination, Food Hazard, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Pathogen, Food Poisoning, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Food Toxin, Toxin

Ukraine – Dozens sickened after consuming sushi

Posted on June 28, 2021 by | Leave a comment

Outbreak News Today

The Kharkiv Regional Center for Disease Control and Prevention has reported 89 people, including 19 children, have been hospitalized for food poisoning.

Two patients, registered on June 22, are residents of Lugansk, who were on a business trip in the city of Kharkov and ate sushi in the Yakitoria restaurant.

It is noted that according to the results of bacteriological examination of patients, 42 people, incl. two employees of the institution, the culture of the genus Salmonella is highlighted. Pathogenic staphylococcus was found in six workers, pathogenic E. coli was isolated in one, and opportunistic pathogens were isolated in six more.

Leave a comment

Posted in E.coli, food bourne outbreak, food contamination, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Pathogen, Food Poisoning, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Food Toxin, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, outbreak, Staphylococcus aureus

USA – 2021 E. Coli Outbreak Linked to Pasteurized Yogurt – Update

Posted on June 25, 2021 by | Leave a comment

Washington State DOH

On May 12, 2021, The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) announced a multi-county outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 that began as a Public Health-Seattle & King County investigation involving several children with E. coli. The outbreak is linked to Pure Eire Dairy  yogurt also sold as PCC Community Market brand yogurt.

Update 6/23/21: One new case from Arizona has been identified who was infected with the outbreak strain of E. coli O157:H7. This brings the total number of outbreak-associated cases to 17. All three of the Arizona cases are considered secondary infections.

Update 6/17/21: One new child case has been identified who was infected with the outbreak strain of E. coli O157:H7 and was hospitalized for their illness. This brings the total number of outbreak-associated cases to 16.

The two Arizona cases infected by the outbreak strain of E. coli O157 did not consume PCC or Pure Eire brand yogurt.

  • The first Arizona case is considered a secondary infection. This person was infected after having close contact with a Washington state resident who regularly ate Pure Eire yogurt and developed diarrhea (but was not tested) shortly before traveling to Arizona.
  • The newest Arizona case added on 6/17/2021 is also considered a secondary infection.

 Public health message

  • If you have PCC Community Market brand yogurt or Pure Eire yogurt at home, do not eat it and throw it away.
  • E. coli infections can cause serious complications. Symptoms include diarrhea, stomach cramps and blood in the stool.
  • If you notice symptoms, especially bloody diarrhea, contact your health care provider right away.

Case information

DOH is reporting confirmed cases infected with bacteria that have been genetically linked. Local health jurisdictions may report higher numbers for their counties that include cases still under investigation and may provide additional detail on their cases.

Case information will be updated twice a week, as new information is available.

Last updated 6/23/21 at 7:07 p.m.

Summary

Statewide total

Cases
Confirmed cases – updated 6/23/21

17
Hospitalized – updated 6/17/21

10
Developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS)

4
Died

0

Leave a comment

Posted in E.coli, food bourne outbreak, food contamination, Food Hazard, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Pathogen, Food Poisoning, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Food Toxin, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, outbreak, STEC, STEC E.coli

USA – Timeline for Identifying and Reporting Illnesses in Foodborne Outbreaks

Posted on June 24, 2021 by | Leave a comment

CDC

Ever wonder why the number of illnesses in a foodborne outbreak can increase for weeks, even after the contaminated food is off the market?

A series of events happen before public health officials can report that a case of illness is linked to an outbreak. Each event takes a certain amount of time. This time is known as the “reporting lag” or “lag window” of an outbreak. It is usually 3–4 weeks. For illnesses caused by some bacteria, such as Listeria, it may be longer. Public health officials work to speed up this process when possible.

The steps below outline what typically happens from the day someone eats a contaminated food to the day their illness is linked to a multistate foodborne outbreak investigated by CDC.*

Day 1: You eat a food containing harmful bacteria.
Day 3: You start to feel sick.
  • Symptoms of food poisoning (such as nausea and diarrhea) could start anywhere from a few hours to a few weeks later, depending on the bacteria you ingested. The following chart describes how long it typically takes for someone to have symptoms after being infected with some of the most common foodborne bacteria.
How long it typically takes for someone to have symptoms after being infected with some of the most common foodborne bacteria.
Bacteria Typical start of symptoms
Campylobacter 2–5 days
E. coli 3–4 days
Listeria 1–4 weeks
Salmonella 6 hours–6 days
Vibrio 1-2 days
Should I call the doctor?

Find out when some common food poisoning symptoms are severe enough to need medical attention. See the list

Day 5: You still feel sick with nausea or diarrhea, so you decide to see a healthcare provider.
  • To learn which germ is making you sick, the healthcare provider collects a sample of your stool (poop), urine (pee), or blood.
  • The provider sends your sample to a clinical laboratory for testing.
Day 6: The clinical laboratory tests your sample.
  • After receiving your sample, the laboratory takes 1–3 days to run tests, depending on their capacity.
Day 9: Clinical laboratory test results show what germ is causing your illness.
  • The clinical laboratory identifies the germ making you sick and reports the test results to your healthcare provider.
  • The clinical laboratory should also report test results to the state or local public health department, and they notify CDC.
Days 9–16: The clinical laboratory sends a sample of your bacteria to a public health laboratory.
  • The clinical laboratory ships the bacteria found in your sample to a public health laboratory for whole genome sequencing (WGS) analysis.
  • Shipping can take up to a week, depending on transportation arrangements in your state and the distance between the two laboratories.
Days 16–21: The public health laboratory performs WGS analysis and other tests on the bacteria.
  • The public health laboratory performs tests to determine the bacteria’s DNA fingerprint and other characteristics.
  • WGS testing and analysis of the results, including whether the bacteria is resistant to any antibiotics, can take 2–10 days depending on the bacteria.
What Is Whole Genome Sequencing?

CDC and public health laboratories use a technology called whole genome sequencing (WGS) to generate DNA fingerprints of bacteria causing illness. When bacteria have nearly identical DNA fingerprints, we consider them “genetically closely related.” Illnesses caused by bacteria that are genetically closely related are more likely to have a common source, such as a contaminated food. An outbreak is an event in which a group of people get similar illnesses from a common source. Disease detectives investigate outbreaks to find out what is making people sick.

Find out how CDC uses WGS to detect and solve foodborne outbreaks.

Day 22: The public health laboratory sends WGS results to CDC.
  • Within a day of analyzing the WGS results, state public health officials add the DNA fingerprint from the bacteria to PulseNet, a national laboratory network coordinated by CDC. PulseNet connects foodborne illnesses in order to identify outbreaks.
Day 23: CDC determines if your illness is related to other recent illnesses.
  • CDC scientists determine whether the bacteria causing your illness is closely related genetically to any other recent WGS results from other people in PulseNet.
  • If it is closely related to bacteria causing recent illnesses in other people, CDC may begin an outbreak investigation or add your illness to an ongoing investigation.

Total time: 3–4 weeks

*Most cases of illness, even those caused by common foodborne germs, are not linked to a foodborne outbreak. This can happen for many reasons. A major reason is that most illnesses are not part of an outbreak. Another reason is that germs that cause foodborne illness can also be spread in other ways, such as by water or directly from one person to another. Also, if an illness is diagnosed by a culture-independent diagnostic test, that case may not be linked to an outbreak because these tests do not provide the information needed to link it to an outbreak. In addition, many people do not seek medical care for foodborne illnesses, so their illnesses cannot be diagnosed or reported to public health officials.

Leave a comment

Posted in food bourne outbreak, food contamination, food handler, Food Hazard, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Pathogen, Food Poisoning, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Temperature Abuse, Food Testing, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, outbreak, Pathogen, pathogenic, Research, Uncategorized

Singapore – Tilapia linked to Streptococcus outbreak in Singapore

Posted on June 24, 2021 by | Leave a comment

The Fish Site

Tilapia have been linked to an outbreak of Streptococcus, which affected 146 people in Singapore, prompting the FAO to issue a “risk profile report” to raise awareness of the threat.

In 2015, around 146 people became ill after eating a traditional raw freshwater fish dish in Singapore, with several people eventually having to have limbs amputated. It turns out that they had developed blood poisoning linked to a bacterium called Streptococcus agalactiae, also called Group B Streptococcus (SBS). The specific strain responsible for the outbreak was a unique sequence type 283 (ST283). A four-page factsheet, Invasive disease linked to raw freshwater fish, has just been made available, as has a more comprehensive Risk profile – Group B Streptococcus (GBS) – Streptococcus agalactiae sequence type (ST) 283 in freshwater fish.

Dr Tim Barkham, an associate professor at Tan Tock Seng Hospital in Singapore, first identified the human health risk. “Many microbiologists were surprised, as invasive GBS disease in people has not been known to be foodborne previously,” he said.

Leave a comment

Posted in Faecal Streptpcocci, food bourne outbreak, food contamination, Food Hazard, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Pathogen, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, outbreak

Canada – Advice not to consume hummus made by the company Gourmet Végé – Listeria monocytogenes

Posted on June 23, 2021 by | Leave a comment

MAPAQ

WARNING TO THE POPULATION

QUEBEC, June 22, 2021 / CNW Telbec / – The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAPAQ), in collaboration with the Food Inspection Division of the City of Montreal and the Gourmet company Végé, located at 556 Meloche Avenue in Dorval , is warning the public not to consume the products indicated in the table below, as these foods are likely to contain the bacteria Listeria monocytogenes.

Product name

Format

Targeted lot

Expiration date

“ROASTED GARLIC HUMMUS”

240 g

180502

07JL21

“HUMMUS AVOCADO”

270500

16JL21

“CLASSIC HUMMUS”

010601

21JL21

The products that are the subject of this warning were offered for sale until June 22, 2021 inclusively, at several establishments in the province. They were packaged in clear plastic containers and sold refrigerated. The product label includes, in addition to their name, the mention “Vegetarian Gourmet”.

The operator is voluntarily recalling the products in question. He agreed with the MAPAQ and the Food Inspection Division of the City of Montreal to disseminate this warning as a precautionary measure. It should be noted that no case of illness associated with the consumption of these foods has been reported to MAPAQ so far.

In addition, people who have any of these products in their possession are advised not to consume it. They must return it to the establishment where they bought it or throw it away. Even if the products do not show any signs of spoilage or a suspicious odor, eating food contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes can cause listeriosis, a foodborne illness, which can lead to high fever. , severe headache, stiff neck or nausea. In this regard, pregnant women and their unborn children, the elderly, children and people with weakened immune systems are considered to be the most vulnerable.

Leave a comment

Posted in food contamination, food handler, Food Hazard, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Pathogen, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, mapaq

UK – Almost half the adults (46%) who cook coated frozen chicken products do not always check cooking instructions on packaging before cooking

Posted on June 22, 2021 by | Leave a comment

FSA

The Food Standards Agency (FSA), Food Standards Scotland (FSS) with Ipsos MORI have published a survey of consumer practices relating to coated frozen chicken products.

This survey identifies behaviours which could increase people’s risk to foodborne disease. It was commissioned as a result of a Salmonella incident linked to frozen chicken products such as nuggets, goujons, dippers, poppers and kievs. While these products may appear cooked on the outside, they often contain raw chicken and so they must be cooked thoroughly to help kill Salmonella bacteria.

Findings show that two thirds of adults aged 16-75 (67%) say they have recently cooked or eaten coated frozen chicken products at home. These products are particularly popular with younger adults, with 88% of those aged 16-24 having recently consumed them or cooked them at home. Participants were also more likely to have cooked or eaten these products if they have children aged 15 or under in their household (86%).

The survey also included questions on the storage and handling of these products pre and post-cooking:

  • Almost two thirds of those who cook these products (62%) say uncooked coated frozen chicken products at least sometimes come into contact with other surfaces such as worktops and plates
  • Over half of those who cook these products (58%) say they always wash their hands after handling coated frozen chicken products
  • Almost a quarter of consumers who personally cook products say they defrost them before cooking (23%), 62% say they do not. Among those who defrost products, half say they leave them at room temperature (53%)

Most participants who use an oven to cook coated frozen chicken products say they sometimes cook them together with other products, such as chips or vegetables (84%). Cooking these chicken products at a lower temperature or for a shorter time than advised may mean they are not thoroughly cooked before serving.

Narriman Looch, Head of Animal Feed and Foodborne Disease Control Branch said: ‘It’s important to understand that frozen chicken products often contain raw chicken, even though they may look pre-cooked on the outside. While additional measures have been put in place by food businesses to improve the safety of these products, consumers need to handle these products as they should other raw meat products. Cooking food at the right temperature and for the right amount of time will kill any Salmonella bacteria that may be in food. Therefore, we are urging consumers to follow cooking instructions for these products to protect themselves and their families.’

Food safety tips for frozen breaded chicken products:

  • Treat these products as raw chicken, ensuring they are steaming hot after cooking and surfaces they have touched are cleaned to avoid the spread of bacteria
  • Make sure the oven is up to temperature before cooking
  • Check the instructions on packaging and cook at the correct temperature and for the time stated
  • Wash your hands, utensils and clean surfaces after handling these products
  • If products require defrosting, follow the storage instructions on packaging and always defrost in the fridge

About this poll

The FSA and FSS commissioned an online survey via three waves of Ipsos MORI’s online omnibus of 5,599 adults (aged 16-75) living in the UK. Of these 3,740 had cooked or eaten coated frozen chicken products recently and went on to complete the full survey. The data was weighted to be representative of the UK adult population aged 16 – 75.

The full report is available in the research section of our website.

About the outbreak

FSA and FSS are continuing to work with Public Health England (PHE) and devolved public health authorities as well as our international food safety partners, via the United Nations’ World Health Organization, (WHO) and the Food and Agriculture Organization’s (FAO’s) International Food Safety Network (INFOSAN), to address the causes of the outbreak at source to prevent further cases of Salmonella Enteritidis.

Between January 2020 and May 2021 there have been 511 cases of Salmonellosis in the UK caused by two strains of Salmonella Enteritidis and linked to consumption of frozen, raw, breaded chicken products.

Authorities in Poland and UK retailers have taken action to reduce the risk from these products. Where non-compliant or unsafe food has been identified by the UK, action has been taken to protect consumers.

Leave a comment

Posted in food bourne outbreak, food contamination, Food Hazard, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Pathogen, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, outbreak, Research, Salmonella, Salmonella in Chicken

USA – Yogurt E. coli Outbreak: What is a Secondary Food Poisoning Infection?

Posted on June 21, 2021 by | Leave a comment

Food Poisoning Bulletin

In the Pure Eire yogurt E. coli outbreak that has sickened at least 16 people in Washington and Arizona, some of the patients have contracted secondary food poisoning infections. This term may not be familiar to everyone. So what is this type of infection?

A secondary food poisoning infection occurs when someone gets sick from contact with another person, not by eating contaminated food or drinking contaminated water. Many pathogens can be spread person-to-person, by direct contact and common contact with fomites (surfaces), both through the fecal-oral route.

Leave a comment

Posted in E.coli, food bourne outbreak, food contamination, food handler, Food Hazard, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Pathogen, Food Poisoning, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, outbreak, Poisoning, Secondary Food Poisoning