Category Archives: Food Illness

USA – Dave’s Sushi to reopen after sickening 50 with 2 dead – Morel Mushrooms suspect

Food Poison Journal

Gallatin City-County Health Department Rescinds Closure Order and Institutes New Health Officer Order with Corrective Actions Required Prior to Dave’s Sushi Reopening

Since being ordered to close on April 20, 2023, food samples – including salmon and morel mushrooms – from Dave’s Sushi have been collected and analyzed. To date, all samples have come back negative for a series of pathogens and toxins. A thorough investigation led by the Gallatin City-County Health Department, with support from the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS), the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), is still ongoing and it is known that this investigation may not be able to identify a specific pathogen/toxin as a source of the outbreak that impacted 50 people. Three individuals had severe outcomes, including hospitalizations, and the deaths of two individuals are being investigated after eating at the restaurant. The manner and cause of death for these two individuals will remain pending until autopsy and toxicology results are available.

USA – Cyclospora outbreak in Georgia prompts public health alert

Food Safety News

Officials in Georgia are investigating an outbreak of cyclospora infections in the northwest part of the state.

The Georgia Department of Public Health Northwest Health District has not released any numbers, but it is urging people with symptoms of cyclospora infection to seek medical treatment and report any confirmed infections to local public health officials.

Georgia public health officials say their investigation is ongoing and the number of cases is expected to increase.

Cyclosporiasis causes an illness that can result in prolonged gastrointestinal distress, including watery diarrhea with frequent, sometimes explosive, bowel movements that can last for weeks. In severe cases, cyclospora infection can require hospitalization.220px-Cyclospora_cayetanensis_stained

India – 31 fall ill after attending funeral service ; food poisoning suspected

The Shillong Times

Nongpoh, May 12: Dozens of villagers from Nongladew village in Ri Bhoi district of Meghalaya fell ill after attending a funeral service in Mariampur under Goalpara District of Assam. As many as 41 villagers had attended the funeral rituals of their relative on May 9. However, on Wednesday night (May 10), 31 of them returned home and fell ill, prompting immediate action from health officials.

The villagers had consumed fish, potato, and dal during the funeral service, and many of them complained of illness when they returned home. While the exact cause of the illness is not known, the villagers suspect the fish, which they believe was poisoned, to be the reason for their condition

USA – RiverStone: 80 St. Vincent employees sickened by foodborne illness in Billings

KTVQ

RiverStone Health is investigating a large foodborne illness case with 80 people showing symptoms Friday.

RiverStone can’t confirm the source of the outbreak but says the possibly contaminated food was delivered to various St. Vincent Health Care facilities on Wednesday as part of National Nurses Day celebrations.

“A gastrointestinal illness has impacted a number of our caregivers. At this time, we believe that the illness is from an external source. We are partnering with RiverStone Health for the outbreak investigation,” St. Vincent leaders said in a statement.

USA – Possible Foodborne Illness Kills Two People in Montana – Lawsuit Filed on Behalf of Donna Ventura

Food Poisoning News

On April 30th, a 64 year old woman, Donna Ventura, died of a suspected foodborne illness. The county police officer reports that she was a regular at Dave’s Sushi restaurant. One week before, a 74 year old man named William Lewis also died of a foodborne illness. He was also a patron of Dave’s Sushi. The cause of death is currently under investigation, though morel mushrooms are suspected. While the two deaths have not been “directly” linked to the sushi restaurant, yet, at least three dozen other patrons of Dave’s Sushi have reported illnesses. The autopsy results will be available in 4-6 weeks, and toxicology results will be available in 2-6 months.

The restaurant has been closed for more than 2 weeks after receiving multiple complaints from more than 30 consumers falling ill after eating Dave’s Sushi. The FDA has focused its attention on morel mushrooms, sourced from China, as the source of the illnesses. Although it is not yet confirmed that these mushrooms were what caused the outbreak, this was an off-menu addition and only those who consumed the tainted product became ill – usually within 30 to 270 minutes post-consumption.

France – Farmer Valençay AOP 220g – STEC E.coli

Gov france

Identification information of the recalled product

  • Product category Feed
  • Product subcategory Milk and dairy products
  • Product brand name hutch
  • Model names or references Farmer Valençay AOP 220g
  • Identification of products
    GTIN Batch
    3224330092772 Without lot number
  • Packaging Naked product
  • Marketing start/end date From 08/03/2023 to 28/04/2023
  • Storage temperature Product to be stored in the refrigerator
  • Health mark EN 41.242.002 EC
  • Further information Product sold in the traditional department
  • Geographic area of ​​sale Regions: Centre-Val de Loire
  • Distributors Super U Leclerc Grocery La Cisse Grocery Thomas Prellier

Practical information regarding the recall

  • Reason for recall Suspicion of E.coli STEC contamination
  • Risks incurred by the consumer Toxigenic Shiga Escherichia coli (STEC)

Viet Nam – Seventy children hospitalized in Nghe An, food poisoning suspected

Vietnamnet

More than 70 children aged from three to five from a preschool in the central province of Nghe An were rushed to hospitals after eating a snack on the evening of May 9.

Doctors at a general hospital in Do Luong District said the hospital admitted more than 70 children with symptoms of vomiting, stomach pain, diarrhea and dehydration.

They suspected that the children were food poisoned and that the yogurt was suspected as the cause of the incident, as many other two-year-old kids who did not eat the yogurt were well, the local media reported.

All of the children are rehydrated and in stable condition, and an investigation into the incident is underway.

USA – Dave’s Sushi Turns Deadly: “2 have died, and another 30 injuries reported”

Food Poisoning News

Patrons of Dave’s Sushi, who ate at the establishment between March 31 and April 17th, may have been exposed to a deadly pathogen – as yet unidentified – but possibly in the Morel Mushrooms it served. The restaurant has released a statement:

“Upon being contacted by guests on Mon, April 17 about a potential issue, we stopped serving the morel mushrooms which were a specialty food item not on our regular menu and contacted the Gallatin City-County Health Department.”

While not certain, the mushrooms were served only at Dave’s in Montana – the Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) stated: “The DPHHS investigation has determined that the morel mushrooms served at the restaurant were not distributed to any other restaurants or businesses in Montana. The mushrooms were cultivated in China, shipped to a distributor in California, and subsequently sent to multiple states. There are no known associated illnesses in other states identified at this time.

As of date, two patrons have passed away due to the exposure, and as many as 30 have become ill – some have required hospitalization. The victims all seem to have become ill within a half hour (30 minutes) to four and one half hours (270 minutes) after consumption of the sushi served with the specialty item Morel Mushrooms.

Australia – Hepatitis A cases linked to café in Australian state

Food Safety News

Officials in Australia have issued a health alert after two hepatitis A cases were recently linked to a café.

The Department of Health in the state of Victoria said there was a risk of further locally acquired cases being reported in the coming weeks. No information was provided about the patients or if illness was caused by a contaminated food or food handler.

People who had food from Creatures of Habit café in the city of Springvale in Melbourne were advised to be aware of the symptoms of hepatitis A infection.

The café is located in the Springvale Homemaker Centre. A clean-up of the restaurant has been undertaken and there is no longer a risk to the public, according to officials. There are no other venues at the center implicated.

Egypt – 382 fall ill after eating ice cream in Egypt

Gulf News

Dubai: 382 people fell ill after consuming ice cream from a market in the Egyptian governorate of Qena.

According to Dr Raji Tawadros, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Health in Qena, the number of suspected food poisoning cases has reached 382.

Tawadros further stated that out of these cases, 295 individuals were transferred to Abu Tisht Hospital for treatment.

Fortunately, all patients have since been discharged and are recovering from the ordeal. The incident sparked a swift response from the security forces in Qena province, who managed to apprehend the ice cream vendor believed to be responsible for the food poisoning.