The women, with underlying health conditions, died days after eating the pre-prepared sandwiches – prompting an investigation into a national listeria outbreak, with cases outside the hospital.
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Category Archives: Foodborne Illness Death
UK – Investigators confirm cheese firm’s link to deadly E. coli outbreak
According to officials, the outbreak strain has been found at a farm that supplied the milk used to make unpasteurized cheese, which was linked to an E. coli outbreak in the UK.
In total, 36 confirmed and one probable Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) O145 infections have been reported, with 29 in England and eight in Scotland since late July 2023, with most falling ill in November. The last reported primary patient had symptom onset on Dec. 23, 2023.
Twenty patients were female, with ages of all cases ranging from 7 to 81. Of the 31 patients with available information, 20 had bloody diarrhea, 15 were admitted to the hospital, and four also attended the hospital for their symptoms. One person developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) and later died.
An investigation into the outbreak by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), the local authority, Public Health Scotland, Food Standards Agency (FSA), Food Standards Scotland (FSS) and the Animal Plant Health Agency (APHA) is nearly completed.
UK – People hit by E.Coli outbreak ate Mrs Kirkham’s cheese in prepared meal in first class train carriage
At least sixteen people who were infected in the E.Coli outbreak over Christmas ate ready meals containing unpasteurised cheese from a Preston business in the first class carriage of a train, Blog Preston has learned.
The investigation into E.Coli that led to dozens of people being infected, and one person dying, has also now concluded there is a ‘proven link’ between Mrs Kirkham’s Lancashire Cheese Ltd, which operates in Goosnargh, and the outbreak.
Mrs Kirkham’s was forced to issue a product recall on Christmas Eve 2023 over fears their unpasteurised cheese contained the harmful bacteria.
The Food Standards Agency has previously said that Mrs Kirkham’s acted ‘quickly and responsibly’ to take that action in December once the potential link had been established. Mrs Kirkham’s also received messages of support from the Specialist Cheesemakers’ Association and The Courtyard Dairy,
USA – NY cheese manufacturer pleads guilty for adulterated raw cheese linked to deadly Listeria outbreak
Pursuit to a 16-page plea agreement that leaves little to the imagination, a former raw milk cheese manufacturer and the company he owned and managed pleaded guilty today to charges related to cheese that was linked to a deadly outbreak of listeriosis.
Johannes Vulto and his company, Vulto Creamery LLC, are scheduled for sentencing on July 9 at the U.S. Courthouse in Syracuse, NY. The maximum sentence for the single misdemeanor count is one year imprisonment, a fine of $250,000, and one year of supervised release plus a 5-year term of court supervision.
The plea agreement requires a payment of $100,000 from Vulto and a one-year supervised release to begin after any imprisonment.
Research – 2016 Vulto Cheese Listeria Outbreak – What is Listeria and why is it so Deadly
In early March 2017, public health and regulatory officials in several states, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) investigated an outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes(Listeria) infections. Investigators used epidemiologic evidence and laboratory results from the PulseNet system to identify case patients who were part of the outbreak. Eight people infected with outbreak strain of Listeria were reported from four states, New York, Connecticut, Vermont and Florida. The Florida case had traveled to New York in the month before illness onset. Whole genome sequencing (WGS) performed on clinical isolates from all 8 case-patients showed that the isolates were closely related genetically, providing strong support that illnesses were linked to a common source.
USA – Update – Outbreak Investigation of Listeria monocytogenes: Queso Fresco and Cotija Cheese (February 2024)
Products (Updated 2/22/2024):
Recalled dairy products and products made with recalled dairy products sold under the brand names:
- Bright Farms, Campesino, Casa Cardenas, Dole, Don Francisco, Don Pancho, Dos Ranchitos, El Huache, Food City, Fresh & Ready Foods, Fresh Express, H-E-B, Jack & Olive, La Ordena, Marketside, Maverick Foods, President’s Choice, Ready Pac Bistro, Rio Grande, Rizo Bros, Rico, Rojos, San Carlos, Santa Maria, Sprig & Sprout (S&S), The Perfect Bite Co.,Tio Francisco, Trader Joe’s, and 365 Whole Foods Market.
Retailer names where product was sold unbranded as taco kits, wraps, and meals:
- Albertsons, Bristol Farms, Carrs-Safeway, Costco, Eagle, Lucky, Pavilions, Randalls, Safeway, Save Mart, Shaw’s, Sprouts (S&S), Star Market, Stater Bros. Markets, Tom Thumb, and Vons.
More information about recalled products, including descriptions, sizes, and UPCs or “best by” dates are included in the table of recalled products below. Additional information is also available in the recall notices from the companies.
Austria – Dairy firm boss faces jail after deadly Listeria outbreak
The head of a dairy company behind a Listeria outbreak in Austria faces more than a year in prison.
The boss of Käserei Gloggnitz was sentenced to 13 months in jail this week. The 39-year-old faced several charges but denied the allegations and the verdict was reported not to be final, according to media reports.
A Listeria outbreak from 2020 to 2022 had 10 cases and caused at least three deaths.
Käserei Gloggnitz faced financial issues in 2022 which led to insolvency proceedings being opened and in 2023 the closure of the plant was ordered.
Additional allegations will be heard in mid-March at the Regional Court of Wiener Neustadt when several other witnesses will also be questioned.
Food Poisoning Tragedy at Funeral in Eastern Uganda: A Call for Food Safety and Public Health Reform
In the quiet village of Bukasami, located in the heart of Jinja district, Eastern Uganda, a somber gathering to bid farewell to Ahamad Magumba, a respected county khadhi, took an unforeseen and tragic turn. On February 13, what was meant to be a ceremony of remembrance quickly spiraled into a public health emergency. Three attendees lost their lives, and an additional 100 were hospitalized with symptoms pointing unmistakably to food poisoning.
The laboratory findings, including the detection of a high number of colony-forming units of C. perfringens in the consumed food, further cement the diagnosis. This bacterium, often found in improperly stored or cooked food, can lead to devastating outbreaks, as witnessed in Bukasami village.
UK – Dairy firm linked to STEC outbreak resumes cheese sales
A cheese company linked to an E. coli outbreak in the United Kingdom has been allowed to restart sales of products.
Mrs Kirkham’s Lancashire Cheese can resume selling batches of five raw milk cheeses made on or after Oct. 1, 2023. This includes the mild, creamy, tasty, mature, and smoked Lancashire varieties, plus Waitrose and Partners, Farmhouse Kirkham’s Lancashire Cheese.
However, any of these cheeses put on the market up to and including Feb. 5, 2024, should not be eaten and must be returned to the place of purchase for a refund.
There are now 36 cases of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) O145 linked to the outbreak, up from 30 in an earlier update. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), Public Health Scotland (PHS), and other agencies are investigating the incident.
Sick people live in England, Wales and Scotland. They fell ill from late July 2023, with the majority in December and all had symptom onset before Dec. 24, 2023.
Of 19 people with information available, a dozen reported bloody diarrhea, and 11 have been hospitalized. One person developed haemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), and another died.
For 30 cases where information is known, 15 are female, and 15 are male, with ages ranging from 7 to 81 and a median of 35 years old.
USA – Updater – Outbreak Investigation of Listeria monocytogenes: Queso Fresco and Cotija Cheese (February 2024)
Products (Updated 2/12/2024):
Recalled dairy products and products made with recalled dairy products sold under the brand names:
- Bright Farms, Campesino, Casa Cardenas, Dole, Don Francisco, Don Pancho, Dos Ranchitos, El Huache, Food City, Fresh & Ready Foods, Fresh Express, H-E-B, La Ordena, Marketside, Maverick Foods, President’s Choice, Ready Pac Bistro, Rio Grande, Rizo Bros, Rojos, San Carlos, Santa Maria, The Perfect Bite Co.,Tio Francisco, Trader Joe’s, and 365 Whole Foods Market.
Retailer names where product was sold unbranded as taco kits and meals:
- Albertsons, Carrs-Safeway, Costco, Eagle, Lucky, Jack & Olive, Pavilions, Randalls, Safeway, Save Mart, Shaw’s, Sprig & Sprout, Sprouts, Star Market, Stater Bros. Markets, Tom Thumb, and Vons.
More information about recalled products, including descriptions, sizes, and UPCs or “best by” dates are included in the table of recalled products below. Additional information is also available in the recall notices from the companies.
FDA has been notified of additional companies who have issued public notifications or recalls for products linked to the Rizo-Lopez Foods, Inc. dairy recall that were sold at retail locations. Products from the following announcements have been added to the table of recalled products below.
- Costco Member Letters for Southwest Wrap (Item # 29433)External Link Disclaimer
- Costco Member Letter for Chicken Street Taco Kit (Item #11545) BA, LA and Select NW & SD LocationsExternal Link Disclaimer
- Costco Member Letter for Maverick Foods Chipotle Chicken and Rice Bowl (Item #1704074) TE LocationsExternal Link Disclaimer
- Taylor Fresh Foods recalled Marketside Bacon Ranch Crunch Chopped Salad kits sold at Walmart stores in AL, AR, CO, DC, IA, KS, KY, LA, MD, MN, MO, MS, MT, NC, ND, NE, NY, OK, PA, SD, TN, TX, VA, WV, and WY
- Braga Fresh recalled Marketside Bacon Ranch Crunch Chopped Salad kits sold at Walmart stores in CA and NV
- The Perfect Bite Co. recalled MEXICAN STYLE STREET CORN BITE sold to Costco stores in CA and HI
- Save Mart Companies recalled Chicken Street Taco Kits sold in Save Mart, Lucky, and Lucky California store service delis in CA and NV
- Stater Bros. Markets recalled Chicken Street Taco Kits sold at all Stater Bros. Markets in CA
- Fresh & Ready Foods recalled Fresh & Ready Ham Torta Sandwich, Fresh & Ready Chicken Torta Sandwich, Sprig & Sprout Ham Torta Sandwich on Telera Roll, and Jack & Olive Ham Torta Sandwich on Telera Roll sold exclusively in locations in AZ, CA, NV, and UT
- Sprouts Farmers MarketExternal Link Disclaimer recalled Chicken Street Taco Meal Kit sold in Sprouts stores in AL, FL, GA, NC, and TN
On 2/9/2024 and 2/10/2024, The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) updated their public health alert to include additional products made with or containing recalled dairy products from Rizo Lopez Foods, Inc.
More information about recalled products, including descriptions, sizes, and UPCs or “best by” dates are included in the table of recalled products below. Additional information is also available in the recall notices from the companies.
Case Count Map Provided by CDC
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