Category Archives: Food Virus

USA – Article – How do Pathogens get into Produce

Posted on January 23, 2013 by | Leave a comment

This is a very interesting article in Food Safety News which I think would be of interest to Food Microbiologists and the Produce industry alike. the link will take you to the full article

Food Safety News

Leafy greens, lettuce, cantaloupes, mangoes and strawberries. These are just some of the foods that have sickened or even killed people when they were contaminated with foodborne pathogens such as E. coli, Listeria and Salmonella.

Amidst the confusing swirl of information about these and other produce outbreaks, the question arises: Were some of these pathogens inside the produce? Could it be — in some cases, anyway — that the plant’s roots sucked the pathogens up out of the soil and transferred them through the plant into its edible parts?

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Posted in Bacteria, E.coli, E.coli O103, E.coli O157, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Testing, Food Virus, Foodborne Illness, Hepatitis A, Hygiene, Illness, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, Microbiology, O103, Research, Salmonella

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European Alerts – Norovirus – Salmonella

Posted on January 23, 2013 by | Leave a comment

Denmark – Norovirus in French Oysters

RASFF – Salmonella in Lemon Thyme in the UK sourced in Morocco

 

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Posted in Bacteria, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Food Virus, Microbiology, Norovirus, Pathogen, RASFF, Recall, Salmonella

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RASFF Alerts – Norovirus – Alfatoxin – Salmonella – Mould

Posted on January 17, 2013 by | Leave a comment

RASFF – Norovirus in Oysters in France sourced in Spain

RASFF – Norovirus in Live Clams in France from Spain

RASFF – Aflatoxin in Peanuts in Slovakia sourced in China

RASFF – Salmonella in Kebab Meat in Italy sourced in Poland

RASFF – Mould in Cottage Cheese in Greece sourced in Germany

 

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Posted in Aflatoxin, Bacteria, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Technology, Food Testing, Food Virus, Microbiology, Moulds, Mycotoxin, Norovirus, Pathogen, RASFF, Recall, Salmonella

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Research New Bacterial Identification Technology

Posted on January 17, 2013 by | Leave a comment

Food Poisoning Bulletin

xTAG Gastrointestinal Pathogen Panel (GPP), which recently received approval from US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), is one lab test that can do the job of many,  expertly scanning a solitary stool sample for 11 different illness-inducing organisms.

To many, that sounds an impressive feat in an of itself. But considering that 179 million Americans are stricken with gastroenteritis every year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), it’s also one that can come in handy. Infectious gastroenteritis is caused by certain viruses, bacteria, or parasites and can be spread easily through person-to-person contact or from contaminated food, water, and surfaces. Symptoms include vomiting and diarrhea.

The  xTAG can scan for  bacteria including Campylobacter, Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) toxin A/B, Escherichia coli (E. coli) O157, Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) LT/ST, Salmonella, Shigella and Shiga‐like Toxin producing E. coli (STEC) stx 1/stx 2. It can scan for viruses including Norovirus and Rotavirus A. And it can scan for parasites such as Cryptosporidium and Giardia.

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Posted in Bacteria, Campylobacter, Clostridium difficile, Cryptosporidium, E.coli, E.coli O103, E.coli O104, E.coli O145, E.coli O157, E.coli O26, EHEC, Food Safety, Food Technology, Food Testing, Food Virus, Giardia, Methods, Microbiology, Norovirus, Pathogen, Rotavirus

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Research – Norovirus and Hand Sanitisers

Posted on January 17, 2013 by | Leave a comment

Food Poisoning Bulletinnorovirus-2(1)

In 2011, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention conducted a study that looked at a substantial increase in novovirus illnesses in northern New England. Researchers looked at long-term care facilities in that area, trying to identify institutional risk factors for norovirus outbreaks. State health departments in Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont used surveys, collecting information about facility attribvutes, routine staff use of alcohol-based hand sanitizer versus soap and water, facility cleaning practices, and occurrence of acute gastroenteritis outbreaks from December 2006 to Amarcy 2007.

Norovirus outbreaks peak in the winter months, when people are forced to spend more time together. Cruise ships, hospitals, and nursing homes usually suffer outbreaks because of the proximity of patients. The virus is extremely contagious and people can become infected through food and drink, person-to-person, and by touching contaminated surfaces.

The surveys found that of the 91 facilities that responded, 61 reported 73 outbreaks in that time frame. Of those outbreaks, 29 were confirmed norovirus. And facilities where staff were “equally or more likely to use alcohol-based hand sanitizer (ABHS) than soap and water for routine hand hygiene had higher odds of an outbreak than facilities with staff less like to use ABHS.”

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Posted in Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Safety, Food Technology, Food Testing, Food Virus, Hygiene, Methods, Microbiology, Norovirus, Pathogen, Research

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HPA – New Strain of Norovirus – Sydney 2012

Posted on January 9, 2013 by | Leave a comment

HPANorovirus

As part of its surveillance for norovirus the Health Protection Agency (HPA) carries out genetic testing of norovirus strains from cases in England and Wales.

Testing carried out when cases started to rise in October revealed a cocktail of different strains that were circulating including Sydney 2012 and another called New Orleans 2009, although no one strain was dominant.

The latest testing of the most recent outbreaks, completed this week, has now shown that Sydney 2012 has overtaken all others to become the dominant strain.

Syndey 2012 was first seen in Australia (and takes its name from the place it was first identified) and has also been seen in France, New Zealand and Japan.

This new strain does not cause more serious illness than others and the methods of managing cases and outbreaks are the same for any strain of norovirus. These measures include washing the hands thoroughly and regularly particularly after using the toilet and before eating.

Dr David Brown, Director of Virology Reference Department at the HPA said, “It is always difficult to predict the norovirus season and this year is no different.

“Noroviruses mutate rapidly and new strains are constantly emerging. At the start of the season it is normal for outbreaks to be caused by a range of different strains. However as the season progresses particular strains are more successful and become dominant. The emergence of a new strain does not mean that it causes more serious illness and managing outbreaks and those will the illness remains the same.

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Posted in Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Safety, Food Testing, Food Virus, HPA, Microbiology, Norovirus, outbreak, Pathogen, Research

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UK – HPA Update on Norovirus Activity

Posted on January 8, 2013 by | Leave a comment

HPANorovirus

Latest figures from the Health Protection Agency (HPA) show there have been 4,140 laboratory confirmed cases of norovirus this season (from week 27 to week 52 2012). The latest figures are 63 per cent higher than the number of cases reported at this point last year, when there were 2,535 cases.

The downward trend in the number of confirmed cases has continued in line with the previous report although this is to be expected following the Christmas and New Year period. We will expect to see the number of cases increase again over the following few weeks.

During the two weeks up to 6 January there were 33 hospital outbreaks reported, compared to 30 in the previous fortnight, bringing the total of outbreaks for the season to 673.

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Posted in Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Testing, Food Virus, Foodborne Illness, Hand Washing, HPA, Hygiene, Illness, Microbiology, outbreak, Pathogen, Research, Virus

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UK – HPA Norovirus Update

Posted on January 3, 2013 by | Leave a comment

HPAnorovirus-2(1)

Latest figures from the Health Protection Agency (HPA) show there have been 3,877 laboratory confirmed cases of norovirus this season (from week 27 to week 51 2012). The latest figures are 72 per cent higher than the number of cases reported at this point last year, when there were 2,255 cases.

During the Christmas period there is typically a drop in the number of laboratory reports. In previous norovirus seasons the general trend is that cases increase in the New Year and we expect to see cases rise again over the next few weeks.

During the two weeks up to 30 December there were 29 hospital outbreaks reported, compared to 70 in the previous fortnight, bringing the total of outbreaks for the season to 590.

Cases of norovirus have risen earlier than expected this winter season and this is a trend that has been seen across Europe and other parts of the world. It has not yet been determined why this has been the case and activity varies significantly from year to year.

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Posted in Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Standards Agency, Food Virus, Foodborne Illness, HPA, Microbiology, Norovirus, Pathogen, Virus

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Caribbean – Norovirus Cruise Ship Outbreaks

Posted on January 2, 2013 by | Leave a comment

Courier MailNorovirus

AN outbreak of vomiting and diarrhoea has sickened more than 400 vacationers and crew members aboard two Christmas-time cruises in the Caribbean, the CDC says.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said on Saturday it was still conducting lab tests to determine the pathogen, but it indicated it might be norovirus, which is highly contagious and typically transmitted from person to person.

Both ships, Cunard’s Queen Mary 2 and Princess Cruises’ Emerald Princess, reported the outbreak to the CDC, following guidelines that come into play when more than two per cent of the passengers and crew are hit.

A similar outbreak earlier in the month hit the P&O Oriana liner on a 10-night Baltic cruise, infecting about 300 of the 1843 travellers aboard.

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Posted in Food Safety, Food Testing, Food Virus, Illness, Microbiology, Norovirus, outbreak, Pathogen, Virus

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USA – Norovirus Updates

Posted on December 31, 2012 by | Leave a comment

Food Poisoning BulletinNorovirus

A suspected norovirus outbreak has been declared at the Stateville Correctional Facility in Illinois. Illinois Department of Corrections spokesperson Melaney Arnold told Food Poisoning Bulletin that approximately 144 inmates reported becoming ill after Christmas. No patients have been hospitalized.  Food testing is underway to try to determine the source of the outbreak.

The Department of Corrections and the Illinois Department of Public Health are working on the outbreak investigation and control efforts. Samples have been sent to the state laboratory, and public health officials are waiting for results.

CalCoast

A new strain of a stomach virus has caused at least three outbreaks in San Luis Obispo County within the past month, according to local health officials.

All three outbreaks, two of which occurred in restaurants and one in a long-term care facility, were caused from a new strain of the Norovirus from Australia, GII strain. Symptoms include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fever and body aches.

The highly contagious virus is spread through contact with infected people, consuming infected foods or touching infected surfaces. Health officials are asking those who are infected to stay home as they are still contagious for a time after symptoms have subsided.

Each Year Norovirus infections cause an estimated 21 million illnesses in the United States, and 70,000 hospitalizations.

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Posted in Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Testing, Food Virus, Microbiology, Norovirus, Pathogen, Virus

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