Category Archives: Foodborne Illness

Research – Barry Callebaut takes $77 million hit in Salmonella incident

Posted on November 2, 2022 by | Leave a comment

Food Safety News

A Salmonella contamination incident cost candy producer Barry Callebaut $77 million, according to the company’s full-year results.

The impact of the problem was CHF 76.9 million Swiss Francs ($77.3 million) in the fiscal year 2021/22, which ended on Aug. 31, 2022.

The Salmonella incident at the Wieze factory in Belgium and temporary production stoppage, followed by a gradual ramp-up toward the end of the fiscal year, had a “notable impact” on volume and profit in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa region. There was a loss because operations were paused at the factory.

As of October, cleaning of the factory was nearing completion and it began operating again at normal capacity after production was stopped in late June.

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Posted in Decontamination Microbial, food bourne outbreak, Food Illness, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, Foodborne Illness, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Illness, microbial contamination, Microbial growth, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Microbiology Risk, outbreak, Salmonella, Salmonella in Chocolate

Research – The number affected in the Italian Listeria outbreak climbs to 90; three dead

Posted on November 2, 2022 by | Leave a comment

Food Safety News

At least 90 people have been affected and three have died in a major Listeria outbreak in Italy.

The Ministry of Health (Ministero della Salute) said the most recent patient was reported in mid-September.

Deaths occurred in December 2021 and March and June 2022 in Lombardy, Piedmont, and Emilia Romagna. The patients were immunocompromised or particularly vulnerable to infection. One woman lost her baby in the outbreak.

Patients live in Piedmont, Lombardy, Veneto, Emilia Romagna, Liguria, Umbria, Tuscany, Calabria, Lazio, Puglia, Valle D’Aosta and Abruzzo.

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Posted in Decontamination Microbial, food bourne outbreak, Food Illness, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, Foodborne Illness, Foodborne Illness Death, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Illness, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, microbial contamination, Microbial growth, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Microbiology Risk, outbreak

USA – Norovirus Sickened 173 at D. C. Cobb’s Restaurant in Illinois

Posted on November 2, 2022 by | Leave a comment

Food Poisoning Bulletin

Eurofins

A norovirus outbreak sickened 173 people at D. C. Cobb’s restaurant in McHenry, Illinois in August 2022, according to an investigation by the McHenry County Department of Health (MCDH). Two of those patients were hospitalized. The last time this investigation was updated was on September 16, 2022, when it was reported that 16 people were sick after eating at that restaurant. The restaurant is located at 1204 North Green Street in McHenry.

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Posted in Decontamination Microbial, food bourne outbreak, Food Illness, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Virus, Foodborne Illness, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Illness, microbial contamination, Microbial growth, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Microbiology Risk, Norovirus, outbreak, Virus

Denmark – Outbreak with invasive Listeria infection sequence type 7 in Denmark

Posted on November 1, 2022 by | Leave a comment

SSI

Between 18 August and 13 October 2022, five cases of Listeria monocytogenes have been registered at the Statens Serum Institut . The Statens Serum Institut, the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration and the Norwegian Food Institute DTU are investigating the disease outbreak.

Last edited on October 31, 2022

About the disease outbreak

Between 18 August and 13 October 2022, the Statens Serum Institut registered five people who are infected with the same type of Listeria monocytogenes (figure 1). Among the sick are 2 men and 3 women. The patients are between 6-83 years old (median age is 75 years). The patients are infected throughout the country (table 1).

Figure 1 Number of cases of Listeria monocytogenes sequence type 7 per week 2022 in Denmark

Table 1. Patients with the same type of Listeria monocytogenes in Denmark, August to October 2022, per region (n=5)

Region

Number of patients
The capital  1
Central Jutland  1
Northern Jutland 0
Zealand 1
Southern Denmark 2
Total 5

The investigation of the outbreak

The outbreak is handled by the Central Outbreak Group, which consists of SSI, the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration and the DTU Food Institute. SSI stands for whole-genome sequencing of listeria isolates from the patients and interviews with patients or relatives with a view to identifying a possible source of infection.

The outbreak strain

The bacteria is of the type Listeria monocytogenes . By whole-genome sequencing of the Listeria monocytogenes bacteria isolated from the patients, it can be seen that they are very closely related and belong to sequence type 7.

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Posted in Decontamination Microbial, food bourne outbreak, Food Illness, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, Foodborne Illness, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Illness, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, microbial contamination, Microbial growth, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Microbiology Risk, outbreak

Research – Listeriosis outbreak caused by contaminated stuffed pork, Andalusia, Spain, July to October 2019

Posted on October 28, 2022 by | Leave a comment

Eurosurveillance

On 5 August 2019, local primary care epidemiologists at the Aljarafe Health District in the province of Seville, Andalusia, notified to the SVEA three cases of food poisoning that had occurred in the previous week. One case was hospitalised; this patient’s blood culture later revealed  growth. In the following days, five additional clusters comprising a total of 32 cases were notified in Seville and one adjacent Andalusian province, and the same pathogen was identified in two of those clusters. These events prompted the local health authorities’ response on 7 August, with instructions to intensify the epidemiological surveillance and environmental sampling in certain food establishments.

By 9 August, the aggregate patient count had reached 22, which included four other cases requiring hospitalisation. In the following days, given the information from epidemiological interviews, in conjunction with microbiological results from non-human samples, the regional government constituted a multidisciplinary committee to investigate the outbreak, comprised of professionals from epidemiological surveillance, healthcare (including urgent care and infectious diseases), microbiology, food safety, and health authorities.

The aim of the outbreak investigation was twofold: (i) to identify the causative agent and the source of infection in order to prevent any further cases and (ii) to discover the reasons behind such a rapid progression of the outbreak. Here, we describe the outbreak and the epidemiological, microbiological and environmental investigations that were carried out to answer these questions.

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Posted in Decontamination Microbial, food bourne outbreak, Food Illness, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, Foodborne Illness, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Illness, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, listeriosis, microbial contamination, Microbial growth, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Microbiology Risk, outbreak

Research – England and Wales see Listeria infection decline

Posted on October 28, 2022 by | Leave a comment

Food Safety News

The number of Listeria infections fell in 2020 in England and Wales, according to recently released data.

In total, 124 cases of listeriosis were reported in England and Wales in 2020, which is the lowest amount in several years. In 2019, 144 cases were recorded.

There were two outbreaks in England. One was a national epidemic with four cases associated with smoked salmon. Two people died. The other caused two illnesses from 2018 to 2020 and was linked to prepacked sandwiches served in hospitals.

Surveillance of listeriosis in England and Wales is coordinated by the Gastrointestinal Infections and Food Safety (One Health) Division at the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA). New cases are reported by local clinical laboratories, and health protection teams and by the referral of Listeria monocytogenes isolates to the Gastrointestinal Bacteria Reference Unit (GBRU) for whole genome sequencing (WGS).

Incidence rates were highest in people aged 80 years and older.

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Posted in Decontamination Microbial, Food Illness, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Testing, Foodborne Illness, Foodborne Illness Death, Illness, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, microbial contamination, Microbial growth, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Microbiology Risk

New Zealand – 21 Hepatitis A cases now linked to New Zealand Berries

Posted on October 27, 2022 by | Leave a comment

Food Poison Journal

Since 28 June 2022, 21 locally-acquired cases of hepatitis A associated with frozen berry consumption have been identified, including three in the past week. All New Zealand cases have reported significant consumption of uncooked imported frozen berries. Nine (43%) cases were hospitalised.

Of all New Zealand cases, 17 have an identical sequence profile, which indicates they likely came from the same source.

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USA – Health Department Probing Possible Foodborne Illness Outbreak In Brooklyn

Posted on October 27, 2022 by | Leave a comment

Patch

Campylobacter kswfoodworld

City health officials are investigating a potential outbreak of campylobacter, a bacterial infection that causes flu-like stomach symptoms.

City health officials are investigating a potential outbreak in Brooklyn of campylobacter, a bacterial infection that causes flu-like stomach symptoms.

Campylobacter is a gastrointestinal bug that can come from eating raw or undercooked poultry or something that comes in contact with it, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. People can also get it from contact with animals that carry the bacteria and by drinking contaminated water.

In Brooklyn, health officials said approximately 50 cases have been reported in the borough since the start of the month. A spokesperson for the city’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) declined to detail which neighborhoods have seen the spike.

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Posted in Campylobacter, campylobacter coli, Campylobacter jejuni, food bourne outbreak, Food Illness, Foodborne Illness, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Illness, outbreak

USA – 30 cases of Salmonella infection reported in Tahoka

Posted on October 27, 2022 by | Leave a comment

KCBD

TAHOKA, Texas (KCBD) – Thirty cases of Salmonella have been reported in Tahoka as of Oct. 25, 2022, according to Lynn County Judge Mike Braddock. Officials believe they’re all related and could have come from a community fundraiser.

Judge Braddock and the Emergency Management Coordinator for Lynn County believe the bacteria could be from a K9 fundraiser held on Oct. 16, 2022, however, they’re still investigating.

Officials say they do not believe the bacteria is from a restaurant.

During the investigation into the cause, the City of Tahoka tested the water to rule out the possibility the bacteria was in the water system.

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Posted in food bourne outbreak, Food Illness, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Testing, Foodborne Illness, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Illness, microbial contamination, Microbial growth, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Microbiology Risk, outbreak

USA – Core Outbreak Table – Investigations of Foodborne Illness Outbreaks

Posted on October 27, 2022 by | Leave a comment

FDA

What’s New

  • A new outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 (reference #1121) in a not yet identified product has been added to the table and traceback has been initiated.
  • For the outbreak of Salmonella Litchfield in seafood, (reference #1105), FDA issued an Outbreak Advisory on 10/19/2022.
  • Based on CDC’s epidemiological investigation of two large multistate outbreaks of Cyclospora cayetanensis (reference #1080 and #1084), ill people reported eating a variety of leafy greens before becoming sick. For both investigations, CDC, FDA, and state and local partners conducted epidemiologic and traceback investigations and collected and analyzed product and environmental samples. All samples collected were reported as negative for Cyclospora. Due to the lack of additional detail in the epidemiological data and the absence of supporting evidence collected from traceback and sample collection, FDA could not identify a specific product as the source of either outbreak.
  • For the outbreak of Salmonella Senftenberg (reference #1087) in a not identified product, one additional case was reported, the outbreak has ended, and FDA’s investigation has closed.
  • For the adverse illness event series in frozen food (reference #1076), the outbreak has ended, and the FDA investigation has closed.

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