Category Archives: Foodborne Illness

USA – Outbreak Investigation of E. coli O157:H7: Raw Cheddar Cheese (February 2024)

Posted on February 19, 2024 by | Leave a comment

FDA

Raw Cheddar 8 oz block

Products:

RAW FARM- brand Raw Cheddar blocks and shredded cheese products:

  • Original Flavor: all sizes of blocks and shredded packages
  • Cheddar with added Jalapeño Flavor: all sizes of blocks and shredded packages

Symptoms of E. coli:

Symptoms begin anywhere from a few days after consuming contaminated food or up to nine days later. Symptoms include severe stomach cramps, diarrhea, fever, nausea, and/or vomiting.

The severity or presence of certain symptoms may depend on the type of pathogenic E. coli causing the infection. Some infections can cause severe bloody diarrhea and lead to life-threatening conditions, such as a type of kidney failure called hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), or the development of high blood pressure, chronic kidney disease, and neurologic problems.

Stores Affected

  • Sold at retailers nationwide.

Ill people have reported purchasing RAW FARM-brand Raw Cheddar cheese at Sprouts Farmers Market and Bristol Farms. There may be other retailers who are selling the RAW FARM- brand Raw Cheddar cheese and we will update the advisory as more information becomes available.

Status

  • Ongoing; updates will be provided as they become available.

Recommendations:

  • Do not eat, sell, or serve RAW FARM-brand Raw Cheddar cheese products.
  • Check your refrigerators and freezers for the RAW FARM-brand Raw Cheddar cheese (blocks or shredded) and throw them away. If you froze a product without the original packaging and can’t identify the brand, throw it away.
  • Consumers, restaurants, and retailers who purchased or received RAW FARM-brand Raw Cheddar cheese, including wholesale products, should carefully clean and sanitize any surfaces or containers that it touched. Follow FDA’s safe handling and cleaning advice to reduce the risk of cross-contamination.
  • Retailers that purchased this product and repackaged it for individual sale should remove the product from the market.
  • Due to the range in severity of illness, people should consult their health care provider if they suspect that they have developed symptoms that resemble an E. coli infection.

Case Counts

Total Illnesses: 10
Hospitalizations: 4
Deaths: 0
Last Sample Collection Dates: January 29, 2024
States with Cases: CA, CO, TX, UT
Product Distribution: Nationwide

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Posted in E.coli O157, E.coli O157:H7, FDA, food bourne outbreak, Food Illness, food recall, Foodborne Illness, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Illness, outbreak, product recall, Raw Milk, raw milk cheese, Recall, STEC, STEC E.coli

Food Poisoning Tragedy at Funeral in Eastern Uganda: A Call for Food Safety and Public Health Reform

Posted on February 19, 2024 by | Leave a comment

BNN

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.

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Posted in Clostridium, Clostridium perfringens, food bourne outbreak, Food Illness, Food Poisoning, Food Poisoning Death, Foodborne Illness, Foodborne Illness Death, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Illness, outbreak, Poisoning

Research – Finland – Foodborne and waterborne outbreks in Finland in 2020–2022

Posted on February 16, 2024 by | Leave a comment

Ruokavirasto

Abstract
In 2020–2022, a total of 139 foodborne or household waterborne outbreaks were included
in the register of foodborne and waterborne outbreaks maintained by the Finnish Food
Authority. Of these, 135 (97%) were foodborne. A total of four household waterborne
outbreaks were reported over this same period. A total of 2 543 people were reported to
have fallen ill due food and 58 by household water.
As previously in the 2000s, norovirus was the most common reported cause of foodborne
outbreaks in 2020–2022. The norovirus caused 34 (25%) foodborne outbreaks. The largest
foodborne outbreak in 2020–2022 was caused by Salmonella Typhimurium in 2021, when
728 people became ill because of lunch meals in day-care centres. The causative agent
remained unknown in 33 (24%) foodborne outbreaks.
The most reported foods vectors were vegetables and vegetable products. These caused
16 outbreaks (12%). The second most common food vectors were fish and fish products,
including shellfish and mussels (12 outbreaks, 9%). However, in most of the outbreaks,
the food vector remained unidentified, or several foods were suspected as vectors (87
outbreaks, 64%).

The participation of an infected kitchen worker in food preparation and inadequate hand
hygiene resulted in 17% of foodborne outbreaks (23 outbreaks). In nearly all these cases the
causative agent was norovirus. The use of contaminated ingredients was linked to 18 (13%)
outbreaks. In 16 (12%) of outbreaks, there were inadequacies and errors in temperatures and
storage of food. The most reported location where foodborne outbreaks happened were
restaurants, cafés or hotels (64 outbreaks, 47%) The second most common were homes (16
outbreaks, 12%). A total of 16 national outbreaks or outbreaks with multiple locations were
also reported. Noroviruses caused two outbreaks identified as household waterborne and
campylobacters one outbreak. The causative agent remained unknown in one case. The
largest household waterborne outbreak was caused by campylobacter in 2020. A total of 43
people fell ill.
In 2020–2022, three swimming waterborne outbreaks, which caused 210 people to fall ill,
were reported in Finland. Either norovirus was diagnosed in swimmers, or their symptoms
suggested an infection caused by the norovirus. Norovirus was detected in the swimming
water only in one of the outbreaks. In all outbreaks, the quantities of indicator bacteria were
low. No clear cause of swimming water contamination was identified in any of the cases.

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Posted in food bourne outbreak, Food Illness, Foodborne Illness, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Illness, Norovirus, outbreak, Salmonella

Japan – 163 get norovirus after eating sashimi and sushi rolls at Tokyo restaurant

Posted on February 15, 2024 by | Leave a comment

Japan Today

A norovirus outbreak sickened 163 customers at Kisoji, a traditional Japanese restaurant chain in Tokyo, between Jan 30 and Feb 3.

According to health officials in Adachi Ward, the customers were aged between 6 and 88 and dined at Kisoji’s Nishiarai branch, TV Asahi reported. Some complained of diarrhea, while others vomited after eating the sashimi set menus and ehomaki sushi rolls. Three diners were admitted to the hospital for severe symptoms.

After the hospital determined the patients were suffering from norovirus, the public health center suspended operations at the Nishiarai restaurant from Feb 6 to 10.

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Posted in food bourne outbreak, Food Illness, Foodborne Illness, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Illness, Norovirus, outbreak

USA -FDA Core Investigation Table – Investigations of Foodborne Illness Outbreaks

Posted on February 15, 2024 by | Leave a comment

FDA

What’s New

  • For the outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes (ref #1214) linked to queso fresco and cotija cheese, the outbreak advisory has been updated to include additional downstream recalls.

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Posted in food bourne outbreak, Food Illness, Foodborne Illness, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Illness, Listeria, Listeria in Cheese, Listeria monocytogenes, outbreak

11 sick in French cheese STEC O26 E. coli outbreak

Posted on February 15, 2024 by | Leave a comment

Food Safety News

The number of children sick in a severe E. coli outbreak in France linked to raw milk cheese has risen to 11.

The 11 hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) cases were reported in late 2023. HUS is a severe complication associated with E. coli infections that causes kidney failure. Santé publique France surveillance on HUS only covers children younger than 15 years old in the country, so there could be other sick people in the outbreak.

Five young children attending the Minimes crèche in Toulouse had to be hospitalized in November. Stool cultures revealed Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) infection. Cheese has tested positive for E. coli O26.

The other six children with HUS infected with the outbreak strain are unrelated to the crèche and live in different regions.

Speaking to different French media outlets, the parents of two girls, Élise, aged 7, and Clara, 18 months old, revealed how their children had been affected and their ongoing health issues

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Posted in E.coli O26, E.coli O26 :H11, food bourne outbreak, Food Illness, Foodborne Illness, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Illness, outbreak, STEC, STEC E.coli

India- Gujarat: 50 Wedding Guests & Including Bride And Groom Fall Ill Over Suspected Of Food Poisoning

Posted on February 14, 2024 by | Leave a comment

Free Press Journal

A joyous wedding celebration in Ahmedabad took a concerning turn when nearly 50 attendees, including the bride and groom, fell ill with suspected food poisoning shortly after the reception. The incident, which unfolded in the Nikol area on Monday night, sent shockwaves through the families involved and highlighted the importance of food safety at large gatherings.

Shivam Goswami, one of the affected guests currently receiving treatment, described the sudden onset of symptoms after consuming the wedding meal. “The vomiting and diarrhea started coming on very quickly,” he shared. “We were taken to the hospital around 1 AM due to worsening conditions.”

Authorities are likely to investigate the catering services and food preparation processes to determine the root cause and prevent similar incidents in the future.

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Posted in Food Illness, Food Poisoning, Foodborne Illness, Illness, Poisoning

UK – Dairy firm linked to STEC outbreak resumes cheese sales

Posted on February 14, 2024 by | Leave a comment

Food Safety News

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.

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Posted in Death, food bourne outbreak, food death, Food Illness, Food Poisoning Death, Foodborne Illness, Foodborne Illness Death, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Illness, outbreak, STEC, STEC E.coli

Finland – Rise in food poisoning cases in Helsinki in 2023

Posted on February 14, 2024 by | Leave a comment

Helsinki Times

In 2023, Helsinki experienced an increase in food poisoning incidents, according to the latest findings from the city’s food safety inspections. Despite conducting 3,007 food inspections and handling 878 new notifications from food operators—a slight increase from the previous year—the city faced challenges in ensuring food safety. The inspections, which covered 5,789 food establishments in Helsinki, revealed that 49% received an “excellent” rating in their Oiva assessments, reflecting compliance with food safety standards.

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Posted in food bourne outbreak, Food Illness, Food Poisoning, Foodborne Illness, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Illness, Poisoning

USA – Updater – Outbreak Investigation of Listeria monocytogenes: Queso Fresco and Cotija Cheese (February 2024)

Posted on February 13, 2024 by | Leave a comment

FDA

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.

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

Case Count Map of the Outbreak Investigation of Listeria monocytogenes: Queso Fresco and Cotija Cheese - As of 2/6/2024

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Posted in Death, food bourne outbreak, food death, Food Illness, Foodborne Illness, Foodborne Illness Death, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Illness, Listeria, Listeria in Cheese, Listeria monocytogenes, outbreak