Category Archives: Food Virus

US – Norovirus One Page Fact Sheet

Posted on February 2, 2012 by | Leave a comment

Factsheet Link

This is a very basic fact sheet but could be used in some establishments or as a general reminder.

Leave a comment

Posted in Eurofins Laboratories, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Poisoning, Food Testing, Food Virus, Microbiology, Norovirus

EFSA Discounts Anti-Norovirus Post Harvest Methods

Posted on January 19, 2012 by | Leave a comment

Food Quality News

An article in Food Quality news reports on the EFSA findings over Anti-Norovirus post harvest measures.

The best measures to prevent norovirus in oysters is to focus on preventing human faecal contamination, rather than introducing post-harvest measures such as heat or high-pressure processing (HPP), the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has claimed.

Leave a comment

Posted in EFSA, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Hygiene, Food Testing, Food Virus, Microbiology, Norovirus

CDC – New Norovirus Guidelines for Healthcare Settings

Posted on January 15, 2012 by | Leave a comment

CDC Norovirus Norovirus gastroenteritis infections and outbreaks have been increasingly described and reported in both non-healthcare and healthcare settings during the past several years.  In response, several states have developed guidelines to assist both healthcare institutions and communities on preventing the transmission of norovirus infections and helped develop the themes and key questions to answer through an evidence-based review. This guideline addresses prevention and control of norovirus gastroenteritis outbreaks in healthcare settings. The guideline also includes specific recommendations for implementation, performance measurement, and surveillance.  Recommendations for further research are provided to address knowledge gaps identified during the literature review in the prevention and control of norovirus gastroenteritis outbreaks.

CDC Norovirus Outbreak Management

Leave a comment

Posted in Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Food Virus, Norovirus

Mandatory Bacteria Tests for Milk in India

Posted on January 15, 2012 by | Leave a comment

Lab Saints

Come February, milk sold in India will have to be tested for harmful bacteria like E Coli.
According to the new food safety rules that come into effect six months from August, 2011, the Food Safety Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has made it mandatory for milk manufacturers to test it for organisms such as E Coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Listeria monocytogenes before bringing it into the market.

Leave a comment

Posted in E.coli, E.coli O157, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Food Virus, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus

More US Foodborne IIlness Outbreaks

Posted on January 15, 2012 by | Leave a comment

E.coli O157 -Seven people have been sickened and four were hospitalized in an outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 linked to a restaurant in Houghton, Michigan.

Norovirus –  146 people sickened with norovirus in Wheeling, IL, may have been exposed at Bob Chinn’s Crab House, the Cook County Health Department said Friday.

Norovirus – More than 90 people in Hartford City, IN have been sickened, and two were hospitalized, in an outbreak of norovirus traced this week to a Subway restaurant, according to the Blackford County Health Department.

All articles from Food Safety News

 

 

Leave a comment

Posted in E.coli O157, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Poisoning, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Food Virus, Microbiology, Norovirus

Norovirus – Outbreak Rail Crash Scene -USA

Posted on January 13, 2012 by | Leave a comment

Food Safety News

Last Friday, after three trains collided near Valparaiso, Indiana USA, the Red Cross provided meals for rescue workers at the scene of the crash, and some of that food was catered by the local Jimmy John’s outlet. On Sunday, the Porter County Health Department received reports that about 20 of the workers had fallen ill.
 
By Monday, people who had not been at the crash site began to report similar symptoms. All those victims had recently eaten at the same Jimmy John’s, prompting the Health Department to declare the restaurant the possible source of an outbreak of foodborne illness caused by Norovirus.
And while food served by Jimmy John’s appears to be the likely source of the illnesses, “the Indiana State Health Department of Health is looking at all food items served [at the scene of the train crash],” and is not entirely ruling out other food sources yet.
 
 

Leave a comment

Posted in Food Illness, Food Poisoning, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Food Virus, Microbiology, Norovirus, outbreak

Novel Offering From a US Yoghurt Bar – Hepatitis A

Posted on December 21, 2011 by | Leave a comment

Patrons of the Fruitti Yogurt in Goldsboro, N.C. are being advised to receive a free protective shot against hepatitis A.

The Wayne County Health Department says anyone who ate at the 317 Spence Ave. restaurant on Dec. 7 needs to visit a free clinic at 301 North Herman St.

The exposure might have occurred on Dec. 7 because of an infection in an employee who was diagnosed on Dec. 14.

The hepatitis A vaccine reduces the risk of the disease when given within 14 days of exposure.

If you’ve been previously vaccinated, then there are no problems.

Leave a comment

Posted in Food Illness, Food Poisoning, Food Safety Alert, Food Virus

Scottish Official Norovirus Season Declared Open!

Posted on December 14, 2011 by | Leave a comment

HPS – Health Protection Scotland

Following a report from one NHS board of seven wards being closed due to confirmed or suspected norovirus, the Official Norovirus Season was declared as having started on 5 December.

Weekly Reports Link

Leave a comment

Posted in Eurofins Laboratories, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Food Virus, Microbiology, Norovirus

EFSA – Antimicrobials Fact Sheet

Posted on December 6, 2011 by | Leave a comment

Antimicrobials, such as antibiotics, are used in human and veterinary medicine to treat a wide variety of infectious diseases. Bacteria that are resistant to antimicrobials are an increasingly serious health problem. When antimicrobial resistance occurs in zoonotic bacteria present in animals and food it can compromise the effective treatment of infectious diseases in humans and in animals. The fact sheet provides information on this public health threat and on EFSA’s role in the joint EU actions to combat antimicrobial resistance.

Fact Sheet

Leave a comment

Posted in Eurofins Laboratories, Food Illness, Food Poisoning, Food Virus, Microbiology

Norovirus Legal Limits and Control

Posted on December 1, 2011 by | Leave a comment

An article in Food Production Daily has reported on a statement from the FSA that UK food safety authorities are not considering introducing new industrial processing techniques safety for oysters, despite over 75% grown in the UK containing the norovirus. The FSA are waiting in legal limits to be introduced by the EFSA.

Leave a comment

Posted in Eurofins Laboratories, Food Illness, Food Poisoning, Food Virus