Denmark – Salmonella in Salad with Salmon
France – The company Asselot Andouille de Vire recalls Andouilles brand Andouille Asselot – Salmonella
Germany Virus Update – Now 8,365 Cases English Translation
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Category Archives: Food Virus
European Recalls – Salmonella, Virus Update
Posted in Bacteria, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Food Virus, Foodborne Illness, Hygiene, Illness, Microbiology, Pathogen, Salmonella, Virus
Tagged andouille de vire, food, salmon, salmonella, virus update
German Foodborne Virus Outbreak 6,500 Cases
More than 6,500 German children and teenagers have fallen ill with diarrhea and vomiting that health authorities say has likely been caused by a food-borne virus in meals delivered to schools and day care centers.
Regional health ministries and a top health research institute said youngsters from five of Germany’s 16 states had been affected by the acute gastroenteritis, with the first cases registered on Tuesday. So far, those affected had not suffered any complications.
“All the institutions which have registered cases of the illness so far are probably being provided by the same caterer,” wrote the Robert Koch Institute, which researches and advises the German health ministry on infectious diseases. “This suggests that it is an outbreak caused by food.”
The German government and affected states have established a task force charged with looking for the reason for the illness in order to prevent it spreading any further.
(Reporting By Thorsten Severin, Writing by Sarah Marsh; Editing by Myra MacDonald)
Norovirus – Wales and New Zealand
A total of 74 people have become ill after visiting a hotel in Newport.
An investigation is being carried out after 51 guests and 23 staff were affected by a viral infection, which is probably norovirus, at the Hilton Hotel in Langstone.
They started to become ill last Tuesday and suffered diarrhoea and vomiting.
Hilton Worldwide said the wellbeing of guests and staff was of “paramount importance” and it had brought in “stringent” health and safety measures.
Public health officials say the outbreak is not linked to a particular function or event, but the virus was passed by someone originally infected.
Newport council alerted Public Health Wales two days after the first illnesses.
Virus outbreak hits Wellington childcares, resthomes
Outbreaks of norovirus and rotavirus have been reported at Wellington childcare centres and resthomes.
Regional Public Health had responded to outbreaks of gastroenteritis at four childcare centres and two rest homes since the beginning of the month, medical officer of health Jill McKenzie said.
The number of outbreaks was higher than usual and indicated stomach bugs were circulating in the community.
“The nature of these bugs is they don’t tend to infect one person because their viruses are quite infectious.
Posted in Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Food Virus, Norovirus, Rotavirus, Virus
Tagged health, science, stomach bugs
Malaysia – Norovirus Found in Lettuce
University Teknologi MARA researchers conducted a study on Norovirus (NoV) in lettuces. The virus causes outbreaks of Gastroenteritis among children below age 5 in Malaysia.
Posted in Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Virus, Illness, Microbiology, Norovirus, Virus
Cruise Ship Norovirus Outbreak
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC) has issued an investigation update on the Norovirus outbreak on the Dawn Princess cruise ship. The ship of part of the Princess Cruises cruise line.
Voyage dates were August 21 to September 13, 2012. The number of passengers on the ship is 1,778, and crew members is 851. The passengers who reported being ill numbered 114, or 6.41%, and the number of crew who reported being ill numbered 11, or 1.29%. The symptoms of vomiting and diarrhea are consistent with Norovirus infection
US Alert – Hepatitis A Restaurant Worker
Patrons of Tom’s Gyro, 150 N. 3rd Ave., in Pocatello may have been exposed to Hepatitis A during August 2nd-August 14th, as an employee there has been confirmed as having the disease. Currently, there is no evidence of a hepatitis A outbreak associated with Tom’s Gyros. While the risk to public health is low, the possibility exists that Tom’s Gyro patrons could have been exposed to hepatitis A. Tom’s Gyro has cooperated fully with the investigation into the situation. The employee is believed to have practiced good hand hygiene but could have inadvertently contaminated food and drinks at the restaurant. The risk of exposure is considered small, but not zero.
Posted in Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Virus, Hepatitis A, Hygiene, Illness, Microbiology, Pathogen, Virus
Cruise Ship Virus Strikes Again – Norovirus
A puke fest is underway on the Carnival Glory cruise ship, with passengers taking to the message boards at Cruise Critic to comment that passengers are suffering from diarrhea and other norovirus-like symptoms,
The message board states that Carnival prepared a letter to passengers this weekend that passengers on the prior cruise experienced norovirus sickness. Several passengers are stating that the current cruise has been plagued by norovirus as well. Some comments mention the strong smell of vomit in public areas of the cruise ship.
One passenger comments that the Centers for Disease control (CDC) came onto the Glory on August 9th.
Australia – Hepatitis A Warning
South Eastern Sydney Local Health District today issued a health warning to patrons of a food outlet in the Sydney CBD following the diagnosis of Hepatitis A in a food preparation employee.
Public Health Director at South Eastern Sydney Local Health District, Professor Mark Ferson advised that people who ate food from Sumo Salad in Westpac Place, Kent Street, Sydney between Thursday 19 July and Thursday 26 July may need to receive a hepatitis A vaccine.
Patrons who ate food from the Sumo Salad from Wednesday 11 July to Wednesday 18 July are still at risk of hepatitis, but as the vaccine is only effective within 2 weeks of exposure, these people are not recommended to have vaccine, but should visit their GP if they develop symptoms.
Although the risk of infection to patrons is probably low, as a precaution a clinic providing a free hepatitis A vaccine will be available at Sydney Hospital, Macquarie Street Sydney. The clinic will also provide customers of Sumo Salad with an opportunity to speak to a nurse about possible exposure and any potential health risk.
The clinic will be open between 3pm and 7pm on Thursday, 2 August 2012 at Sydney Hospital’s general outpatient department, north block, entrance from Macquarie Street.
“Hepatitis A is a viral infection of the liver. The virus is spread by the faecal-oral route, including contaminated food or water or direct contact with an infected person,” Professor Ferson said.
Hepatitis A symptoms develop two to seven weeks after infection and include fever, feeling unwell, poor appetite, abdominal discomfort, jaundice (which is yellowing of the skin and eyes) and dark urine.
“There is no specific treatment for hepatitis A but the illness resolves after several days or weeks.
Professor Ferson said while a safe and effective vaccine is available against hepatitis A, it only prevents infection if given within 2 weeks of exposure. It will not protect those people who were exposed to the virus more than 2 weeks prior to vaccination.
“We urge anyone who may have been exposed to these food products to receive a Hepatitis A vaccination as quickly as possible to develop some protection from developing the infection,” he said.
”People who have already received hepatitis A vaccine or have had the disease would already be immune and will not need an injection.”
People can also contact the NSW Health Information Line 1300 066 055 for more information during business hours.
Further information on hepatitis A is available at: http://www.health.nsw.gov.au/factsheets/infectious/hepatitisa.html
Norovirus Research
Abstract:
Human Noroviruses (NoVs) cause an estimated 58% of foodborne illnesses in the United States annually. The majority of these outbreaks are due to contamination by food handlers. The objective of this study was to quantify the transfer rate and degree of contamination that occurs on small fruits (blueberries, grapes, and raspberries) and food contact surfaces (stainless steel) when manipulated with NoV-contaminated hands. Human NoVs (genogroups I and II [GI and GII]) and murine norovirus (MNV-1) were inoculated individually or as a three-virus cocktail onto donor surfaces (gloved fingertips or stainless steel) and either immediately interfaced with one or more recipient surfaces (fruit, gloves, or stainless steel) or allowed to dry before contact. Viruses on recipient surfaces were quantified by real-time quantitative reverse transcriptase PCR. Transfer rates were 58 to 60% for GII NoV from fingertips to stainless steel, blueberries, and grapes and 4% for raspberries under wet conditions. Dry transfer occurred at a much lower rate (<1%) for all recipient surfaces. Transfer rates ranged from 20 to 70% from fingertips to stainless steel or fruits for the GI, GII, and MNV-1 virus cocktail under wet conditions and from 4 to 12% for all viruses under dry transfer conditions. Fomite transfer (from stainless steel to fingertip and then to fruit) was lower for all viruses, ranging from 1 to 50% for wet transfer and 2 to 11% for dry transfer. Viruses transferred at higher rates under wet conditions than under dry conditions. The inoculum matrix affected the rate of virus transfer, but the majority of experiments resulted in no difference in the transfer rates for the three viruses. While transfer rates were often low, the amount of virus transferred to recipient surfaces often exceeded 4- or 5-log genomic copy numbers, indicating a potential food safety hazard. Quantitative data such as these are needed to model scenarios of produce contamination by food handling and devise appropriate interventions to manage risk.
Canada – Advisory Alert Shellfish Vibro parahaemolyticus
The BC Centre for Disease Control is reminding the public there’s a risk of illness associated with eating raw or undercooked bivalve shellfish such as oysters, clams, mussels, scallops, and cockles.
Shellfish may accumulate bacteria(Vibrio parahaemolyticus), viruses (norovirus, hepatitis A), and toxins (paralytic shellfish poisoning, diarrhetic shellfish poisoning) or other impurities present in the water. Thorough cooking destroys bacteria and viruses, but does not destroy toxins.
To date in 2012, five cases of locally-acquired Vibrio parahaemolyticus infection have been reported. In 2011, 42 cases of vibrio were reported. These illnesses have been linked to raw shellfish served in restaurants, bought at retail, or self-harvested in communities throughout the province including, Gibsons, Sechelt, Powell River, Ladysmith, Qualicum, Ucluelet, Gabriola Island, Cortes Island and Parksville.
In addition to individual cases, BC has also experienced outbreaks associated with shellfish. In 2010, an outbreak of norovirus from raw oysters affected over 30 people and in 2011 more than 60 people became ill after consuming cooked mussels contaminated with diarrhetic shellfish poisoning.
Posted in Bacteria, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Food Virus, Foodborne Illness, Hepatitis A, Hygiene, Illness, Microbiology, Norovirus, outbreak, Pathogen, Shellfish, Toxin, Vibrio, Vibrio parahaemolyticus
Tagged bc centre for disease control, environment, paralytic shellfish poisoning, science
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