Category Archives: Foodborne Illness

USA – 2023 – Research – Multiple Salmonella Outbreaks linked to Boston Restaurant

Food Poison Journal

In the summer of 2023, an outbreak of Salmonella Enteritidis infections occurred in the Boston area. Public health officials from the Boston Public Health Commission and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health conducted investigations into what would become three rounds of illnesses associated with food prepared at Los Amigos Taqueria located at 366 Washington Street in Brighton, Massachusetts. A total of 126 ill patrons were identified. Sixteen people were hospitalized. No one died.

Taiwan – Two more Taipei restaurants closed due to suspected food poisoning

Focus Taiwan

Taipei, April 7 (CNA) Two restaurants in Taipei, owned by Wowprime Corp., have been closed temporarily, after a total of 22 customers fell ill with food poisoning symptoms, the Taipei City Government Health Department said Sunday.

The suspected food poisoning at the two Wowprime restaurants in the bustling Ximending area followed the recent closure of three restaurants in the city owned by the Malaysian brand Polam Kopitiam, after over 30 of its diners fell ill with food poisoning, and two of them died.

Sri Lanka – 120 plantation workers hospitalised due to food poisoning

Daily Mirror

Hatton, April 8 (Daily Mirror)- Some 120 plantation workers including children were hospitalized due to food poisoning after consuming food served at a Kovil in Nallatanniya last night.

The people had suffered vomiting, stomach ache, diarrhea and had been faintish after consuming the food served at a dansala of the Kovil and were admitted to the Maskeliya Divisional Hospital.

A medical officer at the hospital said 25 of them were receiving in-house treatment while the others had left the hospital after treatment.

Public Health Inspectors have obtained food samples to be sent to the Government Analyst.

Viet Nam – 1 student dead, dozens hospitalized for suspected food poisoning in Vietnam

English News

HANOI, April 5 (Xinhua) — A fifth-grade student died and dozens of others were hospitalized on Friday morning in Vietnam’s central city of Nha Trang after having breakfast sold by street vendors or at local food stalls, Vietnam News Agency reported.

After having breakfast on Friday morning, a student from Vinh Truong primary school reportedly felt sick and fainted.

Doctors said the cases were suspected to be caused by food poisoning, VnExpress reported.

As of Friday noon, those students’ state of health has been stable, Vietnam News Agency reported.

Local authorities were further investigating the cause of the case

USA – Alabama Cyclospora Outbreak 2023

Food Poison Journal

In the May of 2023, a significant increase in Cyclospora cases associated with a Mexican-style restaurant in Limestone County, Alabama was investigated by the Alabama Department of Public Health. An outbreak investigation was initiated on June 7, 2023. A case control study was launched on June 12. Exposures were reported between May 20 and June 6, 2023.

Research – Salmonella infections in Denmark from 2013–2022 with focus on serotype distribution, invasiveness, age, sex, and travel exposition

Springer Link

Purpose

To analyze the nationwide incidence of Salmonella infections in Denmark from 2013 to 2022.

Methods

Confirmed cases of Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica were examined using the National Register of Enteric Pathogens during 2013–2022. Proportions, incidence rates (IR), relative risk (RR), and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated to assess differences in serotypes, invasiveness, age, sex, and travel exposure.

Results

We identified 9,944 Danish Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica cases, with an average annual incidence rate of 16.9 per 100,000 inhabitants, declining during the COVID-19 pandemic. Typhoidal cases totaled 206, with an average annual IR of 0.35 per 100,000 inhabitants. Enteric fever patients had a median age of 24 years (IQR:17–36). Leading non-typhoid Salmonella (NTS) serotypes were S. Enteritidis (26.4%), monophasic S. Typhimurium (16.5%), and S. Typhimurium (13.5%). Median age for NTS cases was 42 (IQR: 18–62), with even sex distribution, and a third reported travel prior to onset of disease. The overall percentage of invasive NTS (iNTS) infection was 8.1% (CI: 7.6–8.7). Eleven serotypes were associated with higher invasiveness, with S. Dublin and S. Panama having the highest invasiveness with age and sex-adjusted RR of 7.31 (CI: 6.35–8.43) and 5.42 (CI: 3.42–8.60), respectively, compared to all other NTS serotypes. Increased age was associated with higher RR for iNTS infection.

Conclusion

During the decade, there was a limited number of typhoidal cases. The dominant NTS serotypes were S. Enteritidis and monophasic S. Typhimurium, whereas S. Dublin and S. Panama exhibited the highest invasive potential.

Research – Recorded outbreaks jump in Hong Kong in 2023

Food Safety News

The number of outbreaks almost doubled in Hong Kong in 2023 compared to the year before.

Officials reviewed food poisoning outbreaks related to food premises and businesses reported to the Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) in 2023.

CFS and the Department of Health are responsible for investigating and controlling outbreaks related to local food premises.

Hong Kong – CHP investigates case of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli infection

Gov HK

The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health is today (April 3) investigating a case of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) infection, and hence reminded the public to maintain good personal, food and environmental hygiene against intestinal infections.

The case involves a 32-year-old female with good past health, who presented with fever, abdominal pain, diarrhoea and vomit on March 15. She attended the Accident and Emergency Department (AED) of North Lantau Hospital (NLTH) on the same day. She has been in stable condition and did not require hospitalisation.

Her stool specimen grew STEC upon laboratory testing.

Taiwan – Banquet hall shut after illness reports

Taipei Times

A banquet hall in New Taipei City’s Sinjhuang District (新莊) has been ordered to suspend operations amid an investigation into a suspected food poisoning outbreak affecting 62 people, the city’s health department said yesterday.

The New Taipei City Department of Health said it received reports on Sunday of people experiencing an upset stomach after attending banquets held by Watson’s Personal Care Stores (Taiwan) Co at Gala De Chine Xinzhuang Crystal Crown Plaza (雲品集團新莊晶冠館) on Tuesday and Wednesday last week.

Watson’s Taiwan, the nation’s largest cosmetics and drugstore operator, told the health department that 62 of the 2,201 people who attended the banquets last week reported having an upset stomach.

Taiwan – Bongkrekic acid found in restaurant hit by food poisoning outbreak (update)

Focus Taiwan

Taipei, April 2 (CNA) A toxin believed to be the key to a lethal food poisoning outbreak in a Taipei restaurant has been detected in one of the environmental samples taken from the restaurant’s kitchen, confirming the presence of Bongkrecik acid in the restaurant, according to officials and experts on Tuesday.

At a press conference on Tuesday morning, Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) said the toxin, Bongkrekic acid, was found on samples collected from a chopping board, two knives, and one of the chef’s hands in the Xinyi branch of Malaysian restaurant chain Polam Kopitiam on March 24.