RASFF-food poisoning suspected to be caused by not properly prepared chickpeas and beans with insufficient labelling from unknown origin, packaged and labelled in Sweden in Sweden
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Category Archives: Food Illness
RASFF Alert – Food Poisoning suspected to be caused by Salmonella in Smoked Marlin
RASFF-food poisoning suspected to be caused by Salmonella in smoked marlin from Italy with raw material from Spain in Italy
Australia – Rockmelon listeria investigation finds outbreak that killed seven largely caused by dust storms – Listeria monocytogenes
An investigation into a series of deaths linked to listeria on rockmelons has concluded the contaminated fruit came from a single farm in New South Wales, and the outbreak was largely caused by the weather.
Between January 16 and April 10, 22 cases of listeriosis occurred across New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland and Tasmania, which led to seven deaths and a miscarriage.
Key points:
- The investigation found the farm that was the source of the outbreak had hygiene and sanitary procedures on par with or better than most rockmelon-growing operations
- Dust storms that covered the farm’s paddocks significantly increased the amount of listeria on the fruit
- There were other peripheral issues found in the packing facility that were not considered to be major underlying causes
A report released on Thursday by the NSW Department of Primary Industries confirmed those cases were all linked to consumption of rockmelon packed at Rombola Family Farms in Nericon, NSW.
South Korea – Man, 71, had hand amputated when skin started rotting 12 hours after eating sushi – Vibrio vulnificans
New England Journal of Medicine
71-year-old man presented to the emergency department with a 2-day history of fever and excruciating pain in his left hand that had developed 12 hours after eating raw seafood. He had a history of type 2 diabetes mellitus and hypertension and was undergoing hemodialysis for end-stage renal disease. At the time of presentation, hemorrhagic bullae measuring 3.5 by 4.5 cm had developed on the palm of his left hand (Panel A), and erythematous swelling with confluent tense bullae and ecchymoses had developed on the dorsum of the hand and forearm (Panel B). Surgical intervention was performed urgently, and Vibrio vulnificus was isolated from the bullae. Postoperatively, the patient received intravenous ceftazidime and ciprofloxacin. V. vulnificus can cause skin infections after wound exposure to contaminated seawater, as well as primary septicemia through the consumption of contaminated raw or undercooked seafood. Patients with immunocompromising conditions, including chronic liver disease and cancer, are at increased risk for infection and complications. Despite treatment, the skin lesions progressed to deep necrotic ulcers, and amputation of the left forearm was performed 25 days after presentation. The patient did well after the surgery and was discharged home.
Viet Nam – Infected meat poisoned school kids in north Vietnam
An infection causing bacteria has been found in a school lunch that sickened 352 children in northern Vietnam last Friday.
Vu Manh Duong, Director of Ninh Binh province’s Health Department, said that tests done on food samples showed the presence of yellow staphylococcus bacteria in the lunch served to pupils at the Dinh Tien Hoang Primary School on Friday.
A quarter of the school’s 1,300 pupils were hospitalized and diagnosed with food poisoning.
Duong said that the bacteria was found in the salted shredded chicken dish, which was part of the lunch, alongside rice, fried shrimp and tomato soup.
The bacterial would have come from stale meat, improperly preserved meat, undercooked meat or unclean cooking, he added.
As soon as the cause was identified, local authorities sealed the store that supplied the shredded chicken and destroyed the remaining stock, Duong said.
The school’s caterer has also been suspended, he added.
Among the students hospitalized, one currently has tonsillitis and two others have mild fever, Duong said, adding that none of them have nausea or stomachache.
Around 953 pupils had the school lunch, served for VND15,000 ($0.65), on Friday.
The school principal Do Van Tu said the same day that all food sources were carefully chosen from reliable suppliers to ensure safety and hygiene.
USA – Officials say tomatoes cause of Salmonella illness
ATCHISON, Kansas — Contaminated tomatoes are responsible for nearly 70 confirmed cases of gastrointestinal illness that caused several hospitalizations last month affecting attendees of a church dinner in Highland, Kansas.
Theresa Freed, deputy secretary of public affairs for the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, said investigators tested each dinner item served as part of an Indian taco feast on Aug. 7 at the First United Methodist Presbyterian Church in Highland after the salmonella outbreak became known. They have now ruled out every food item except tomatoes, Freed said.
“Testing of food that was served at the dinner has been completed and all tested negative for salmonella except for a sample of tomatoes that tested positive for the same strain of salmonella Newport,” Freed said, referencing one of the common strains of the pathogen.
The development poses a new concern for the department because various residents brought the tomatoes from different locations. Freed didn’t immediately answer questions from Atchison Globe on how great of a danger still exists, how many resources her department is devoting to the matter and when a final report may be completed.
“KDHE is assessing whether other persons that didn’t attend the taco dinner could have been sickened from consuming these tomatoes,” Freed said.
The KDHE and the Doniphan County Health Department, which is assisting in the investigation, have relied on community input via an online survey that appears to no longer be active. Freed said a grand total of 115 persons completed the survey, and 69 reported they had become sick after attending the taco dinner. Fourteen victims have clinically tested positive for salmonella Newport.
For more information, call the Doniphan County Health Department at 785-985-3591 or the KDHE Epidemiology Hotline at 877-427-7317. Information on salmonella may be found at www.cdc.gov/salmonella.
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Marcus Clem can be reached at www.atchisonglobenow.com.
USA – Ladyfingers Gourmet to Go Recalls Ham Rolls for Possible Listeria
Ladyfingers Caterers is recalling Ladyfingers Gourmet to Go Shaved Country Ham Rolls because they may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes bacteria. That product was made with recalled Johnston County Ham products that have been linked to a deadly Listeria monocytogenes outbreak. One illness in that outbreak has been linked to this recalled product.
Korea – More than 1,000 people made sick from cakes – Salmonella
Over 1,000 people, mostly school children, got sick across the nation after eating a chocolate cake distributed by a Pulmuone affiliate, local health authorities announced Friday.
No serious illnesses have been reported, although some victims are receiving medical treatment in hospitals. The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety said salmonella, a common type of food-poisoning bacteria, was detected in the cake.
A total of 1,156 people who ate the dessert in 29 cafeterias across the nation, mostly in schools, reported symptoms of food poisoning as of 9 a.m. on Friday, said the ministry.
Most persons infected with salmonella develop diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps 12 to 72 hours after infection, according to descriptions from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The illness usually lasts four to seven days and most people recover without treatment.
Pulmuone said it recalled the chocolate cake and halted all distribution and sales of the product.
Among those who allegedly came into contact with the disease, 545 did so in seven locations in Busan; 167 in four locations in Daegu; nine in the same location in Ulsan; 31 in the same location in Gyeonggi; 163 in seven locations in North Jeolla; 98 in three locations in North Gyeongsang; and 143 in six locations in South Gyeongsang.
The product, Chocolate Blossom Cake, was made by the W1FNB food company in Goyang, Gyeonggi, and distributed by Pulmuone Foodmerce, which has its headquarters in Yongin, Gyeonggi.
Research -EU study reveals that most Listeria outbreaks remain undetected
More than half of the severe listeriosis cases in the European Union belong to clusters, many of which are not being picked up fast enough by the current surveillance system, suggests a new article published in Eurosurveillance.
The large-scale study looked into listeriosis epidemiology through whole genome sequencing and found that this method, when implemented at EU-level, could lead to faster detection of multi-country outbreaks, saving up to 5 months of the investigations.
The study, coordinated by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), analysed 2 726 human Listeria monocytogenes isolates from 27 countries between 2010 and 2015.
It found that slightly under 50% of the cases are isolated whereas the remaining half of cases is clustered together. Around one third of the cases that were identified as part of a cluster affected more than one country, often lasting for several years. However, only two listeriosis outbreaks were reported in the EU in 2016 and five in 2015, which suggests that many of them have gone undetected.
UK- Seven sick in UK from Salmonella in liquid egg whites
Authorities in the United Kingdom and Ireland are investigating Salmonella illnesses linked to a brand of liquid egg whites.
Seven confirmed cases of Salmonella Enteritidis have been reported in the UK and one suspected infection is under investigation in Ireland. One batch of Dr. Zak’s Barn Farmed Liquid Egg White 970 ml from France with raw material from Spain was recalled on Sept. 17 followed by other batches on Sept. 21.
Salmonella was found in two batches — the first with the use-by date Dec. 12, 2018, and lot number 18163BN2A, the second with a use-by date of Dec. 29, 2018, and lot number 18180BN2A. A precautionary recall was made for batches with a use-by date of Dec. 29, 2018, and lot number 18180BN2B and use-by date of Feb. 2, 2019, with lot number 18228BN2A.
A high count of Enterobacteriaceae at 9,500 most-probable-number per gram and high aerobic plate count with 6,700 colony forming units per gram were also found in the product.
Public Health England told Food Safety News that it is investigating the outbreak of Salmonella affecting people who consumed the nationally distributed liquid egg white product that was recalled by the Food Standards Agency.
Illnesses have been reported in different parts of England since Aug. 17, with the most recent case having an onset date of Sept. 3. Cases linked to the outbreak strain have been confirmed through whole genome sequencing.
Three cases have reported consumption of Dr. Zak’s Barn Farmed Liquid Egg White while four infections are still under investigation.
“Most of those affected have now recovered. However, Salmonella can cause a serious infection in those with weakened immune systems or in vulnerable groups including babies, the elderly or pregnant women,” said Dr. Nick Phin, deputy director of the National Infection Service at PHE.
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