The simple fact is that if people washed their hands, there would be no norovirus,’ that’s what Royal Caribbean CEO Michael Bayley said in an interview in Business Insider published this week.
Nope. It’s not that simple. Handwashing is a factor, but so is showing up ill, so is how surfaces are cleaned and sanitized (and with what compound). Norovirus isn’t just a handwashing or cruise patron problem. And if it was, and was so simple we wouldn’t see 20 million + illness annually in the U.S.
| Issue Date | 6.4.2018 |
|---|---|
| Source of Information | Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) of the European Commission |
| Food Product | Raw oysters |
| Product Name and Description | Raw oysters harvested in Cancale, France |
| Reason For Issuing Alert |
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| Action Taken by the Centre for Food Safety |
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| Advice to the Trade |
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| Advice to Consumers |
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| Further Information | The CFS press release |
Island Health and the First Nations Health Authority have confirmed that the herring eggs and water samples collected from the French Creek and Qualicum Bay areas have tested positive for Vibrio cholerae bacteria.
In March, there was a small outbreak of cholera in the area with four cases of Vibrio cholere infection associated with eating herring eggs. The public was warned not to consume herring eggs that were harvested from French Creek to Qualicum Bay.
Since that time, there have been no further confirmed cases of Vibrio cholerae infection and no changes to the current fishery harvest area closures. Fisheries and Oceans Canada had closed Pacific Fishery Management Areas 14-1, 14-4, and 14-5 to fishing for herring eggs by handpicking at the end of March after the outbreak.
According to a notice posted by New York State Agriculture Commissioner Richard A. Ball, Whole Organic Milk Non-Homogenized, that was produced by Pelleh Farms, has been voluntarily recalled due to improper pasteurization. No illnesses have been reported to date in connection with this problem.
As of March 20, 2018, 13 people infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Typhimurium have been reported from 8 states. A list of the states and the number of cases in each can be found on the Case Count Map page. WGS performed on bacteria isolated from ill people showed that they were closely relatedly genetically. This means that people in this outbreak are more likely to share a common source of infection.
Illnesses started on dates ranging from September 22, 2017 to February 26, 2018. Ill people range in age from 1 to 73 years, with a median age of 40. Sixty-seven percent are female. Three hospitalizations have been reported. No deaths have been reported.
RASFF-coagulase-positive Staphylococcus (25000; 200000 CFU/g) in cheese from Poland in the UK
RASFF-Cronobacter sakazakii in infant formulae from Germany, with raw material from France in Germany
RASFF-chilled lizzard fish from Vietnam and the United Kingdom infested with moulds in the Netherlands
