Category Archives: Food Illness

USA – Listeria Outbreak linked to enoki mushrooms began in 2016

Posted on March 12, 2020 by | Leave a comment

Food Poison Journal listeria

As of March 9, 2020, 36 people infected with the outbreak strain of Listeria monocytogenes have been reported from 17 states. Arizona 2, California 9, Florida 2, Hawaii 3, Indiana 1, Kentucky 1, Maryland 2, Massachusetts 2, Michigan 1, Missouri 1, Nevada 1, New Jersey 1, New York 4, North Carolina 1, Rhode Island 1, Tennessee 1, Virginia 3.

Four deaths have been reported from California, Hawaii, and New Jersey. Six cases are pregnancy-associated and two resulted in fetal loss.

Listeria samples from ill people were collected from November 23, 2016 to December 13, 2019. Ill people range in age from less than 1 to 97 years, with a median age of 67. Fifty-eight percent of ill people are female. Of 32 ill people with information available, 30 hospitalizations have been reported.

Leave a comment

Posted in food contamination, food death, 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, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, Uncategorized

USA – Enoki Mushrooms Listeria Monocytogenes Outbreak Sickens 36

Posted on March 11, 2020 by | Leave a comment

Food Poisoning Bulletin

At least 36 people are sick in an enoki mushroom Listeria monocytogenes outbreak linked to product imported from Korea. The mushrooms were imported by Sun Hong Foods. The mushrooms were just recalled after a sample tested positive for Listeria monocytogenes by the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development. There is zero tolerance for Listeria monocytogenes contamination in ready to eat foods in this country.

Enoki Mushrooms Listeria Monocytogenes Outbreak Sickens 36

Leave a comment

Posted in food bourne outbreak, food contamination, food handler, 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 disease, Foodborne Illness, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, outbreak, Uncategorized

Canada – Outbreak of Salmonella illnesses linked to raw turkey and raw chicken is over.

Posted on March 6, 2020 by | Leave a comment

PHN

 

This is the final update for this outbreak investigation. The Public Health Agency of Canada collaborated with provincial and territorial public health partners, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and Health Canada to investigate an outbreak of Salmonella infections linked to raw turkey and raw chicken products. The investigation has been closed, however illnesses could still be reported because this Salmonella strain is present in some raw turkey and raw chicken products in the Canadian marketplace.

The Public Health Agency of Canada continues to remind Canadians to always handle raw turkey and raw chicken carefully, and to cook it thoroughly to prevent food-related illnesses like Salmonella. The Public Health Agency of Canada is not advising that consumers avoid eating properly cooked turkey or chicken products, nor is it advising retailers to stop selling raw turkey and raw chicken products.

The Public Health Agency of Canada collaborated with provincial and territorial public health partners, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and Health Canada to investigate an outbreak of Salmonella infections.

Based on the investigation findings, exposure to raw turkey and raw chicken products was identified as the likely source of the outbreak. Many of the individuals who became sick reported eating different types of turkey and chicken products before their illnesses occurred. A single common supplier of turkey and chicken products was not identified through the investigation. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency did not issue any food recall warnings related to this outbreak. The Public Health Agency of Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency shared investigative findings with representatives from the turkey and chicken industries.

The investigation has been closed, however illnesses could still be reported because this Salmonella strain is present in some raw turkey and raw chicken products in the Canadian marketplace. The Public Health Agency of Canada will continue to monitor reports of illnesses and will provide updates in the future if there is an increase in newly reported cases or new investigation information is identified.

Leave a comment

Posted in CFIA, 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 Poisoning, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Salmonella, Uncategorized

USA – Outbreak Investigation of Listeria monocytogenes: Hard-Boiled Eggs (December 2019) FDA’s investigation is complete. CDC announces outbreak is over.

Posted on March 6, 2020 by | Leave a comment

FDA

March 4, 2020

Rainbow Farms Select Hard Cooked Peeled Eggs 20 lbs container

FDA, CDC, and state and local partners investigated an outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes infections linked to hard-boiled eggs produced by Almark Foods’ Gainesville, Georgia facility. Almark Foods announced an initial voluntary recall of hard-boiled and peeled eggs in pails on December 20, 2019, and then on December 23, 2019 expanded the recall to include all hard-boiled eggs produced at the Gainesville, Georgia facility. All recalled products are now past their “best by” dates.

CDC has announced this outbreak is over. FDA’s investigational activities, including an inspection, are complete. At this time, the firm is no longer producing products at this facility.

Recommendation

Recalled products are now past their “best by” dates and should be thrown away.

FDA recommends that food processors, restaurants and retailers who received recalled products use extra vigilance in cleaning and sanitizing any surfaces that may have come in contact with these products, to reduce the risk of cross-contamination.

Leave a comment

Posted in FDA, food contamination, food handler, 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, Uncategorized

USA – Texas, Florida, South Carolina, Pennsylvania and Maine link in Listeria Egg Outbreak

Posted on March 5, 2020 by | Leave a comment

Food Poison Journal

Eight ill with one death. As of March 4, 2020, this outbreak appears to be over.

A total of eight people infected with the outbreak strain of Listeria monocytogenes were reported from five states.

Listeria specimens from ill people were collected from April 10, 2017, to December 7, 2019. Ill people ranged in age from less than 1 to 82 years, with a median age of 71. Sixty-two percent of ill people were male. Of seven ill people with information available, five hospitalizations were reported. One death was reported from Texas. One illness was reported in a newborn who was infected with Listeria while the mother was pregnant, but the newborn survived.

Epidemiologic and laboratory evidence indicated that hard-boiled eggs produced at the Almark Foods Gainesville, Georgia, processing facility were the likely source of this outbreak.

Leave a comment

Posted in food bourne outbreak, food contamination, food handler, 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, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, Uncategorized

USA – Possible Campylobacter Outbreak at Rediviva in Aberdeen, WA

Posted on March 3, 2020 by | Leave a comment

Food Poisoning Bulletin Campylobacter_jejuni_01

News reports are saying that a Campylobacter outbreak may have occurred at Rediviva restaurant at 118 Wishkah Street in Aberdeen, Washington. The Grays Harbor County Environmental Health Division learned about a person who tested positive for Campylobacter jejuni on February 25, 2020. That person told investigators he or she ate at Rediviva on Valentine’s Day.

Leave a comment

Posted in Campylobacter, food bourne outbreak, food contamination, food handler, 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, Uncategorized

Research -Restaurants and takeaways cop blame for 60% of food poisoning cases

Posted on March 2, 2020 by | Leave a comment

Food Service Equipment Journal

According to the FSA, there are an estimated 380,000 cases of norovirus linked to food occur in the UK per year.

A breakdown of the roles of the main transmission pathways in food suggest eating out accounts for an estimated 37% of all foodborne norovirus cases and takeaways at 26%.

Open-headed lettuce on retail sale at 30%, raspberries on retail sale at 4%, and oysters on retail sale at 3% make up the remainder.

The revised foodborne norovirus estimate, combined with better analysis of how many illnesses of unknown cause are also likely to be caused by food, suggest around 2.4 million estimated UK cases of foodborne illness occur each year.

Professor Guy Poppy, chief scientific adviser to the Food Standards Agency, said: “This work gives us a much better idea of the role of food in the spread of all infectious intestinal disease in the UK. However, this does not mean more people are getting unwell, only that we estimate food is responsible for more existing cases than previously thought.

 

Leave a comment

Posted in food contamination, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Pathogen, Food Safety, Food Testing, Food Virus, Norovirus, Research, Uncategorized, Virus

India -500 people taken ill due to suspected food poisoning in WB”s Malda

Posted on February 28, 2020 by | Leave a comment

Outlook India

Malda (WB), Feb 25 (PTI) At least 500 people were taken ill due to suspected food poisoning in the Hamidpur area of West Bengal”s Malda district, health officials said on Tuesday.

Seventy persons among those taken ill were hospitalised at Bangitola rural hospital on Sunday after they started vomiting and experienced stomach ache, said Koushik Mistri, health official of Kaliachak 2 block.

Most of the patients admitted to the hospital were from Sibutola, Sripur, Tinghoria and Jogoltola villages, he said.

Ten persons are still undergoing treatment at the Bangitola hospital while two patients have been referred to Malda Medical College and Hospital, Mistri said.

The rest have been discharged from the facility at Bangitola, he added.

Mistri said the people may have taken ill after consuming food at a Shivratri fair in Sibutola.

After receiving news that hundreds of people have fallen ill on Sunday, Mothabari MLA Sabina Yeasmine, Block Development Officer of Kaliachak 2 block Sanjay Ghising and Mistri had rushed to the area.

A special medical team was formed and two medical camps had been opened to treat the patients.

 

Leave a comment

Posted in food contamination, 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 Illness, Uncategorized

RASFF Alert – Food Poisoning Suspected (scombroid syndrome) – Frozen Red Tuna Loins (Thunnus albacares)

Posted on February 28, 2020 by | Leave a comment

RASFF-Logo

RASFF – food poisoning suspected (scombroid syndrome) to be caused by frozen red tuna loins (Thunnus albacares) from Vietnam, via the Netherlands in Italy

Leave a comment

Posted in food contamination, 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, Histamine, RASFF, Scombroid, scombroid poisoning, Uncategorized

USA – Caribbean Princess: Another outbreak on latest voyage sickens 200

Posted on February 27, 2020 by | Leave a comment

Outbreak News Today

Earlier this month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported an GI outbreak of unknown etiology that sickened more than 400 passengers and crew, requiring the ship’s voyage to be cut short.

Today, federal officials reported another outbreak aboard the vessel on it’s February 16–March 1, 2020 voyage. 186 passengers and 15 crew have been sickened with symptoms of vomiting and diarrhea.

Princess Cruises and crew aboard the ship to the usual actions: cleaning and sanitation procedures, collecting samples from passengers and crew and sending daily gastrointestinal illness reports to CDC and Caribbean public health port authorities.

Norovirus is a highly contagious viral illness that often goes by other names, such as viral gastroenteritis, stomach flu, and food poisoning.

Leave a comment

Posted in food contamination, food handler, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Pathogen, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Food Virus, Norovirus, Uncategorized, Virus