Category Archives: Foodborne Illness

Research – First Description of a Yersinia pseudotuberculosis Clonal Outbreak in France, Confirmed Using a New Core Genome Multilocus Sequence Typing Method

Posted on September 2, 2022 by | Leave a comment

Sante Publique

Yersinia pseudotuberculosis is an enteric pathogen causing mild enteritis that can lead to mesenteric adenitis in children and septicemia in elderly patients. Most cases are sporadic, but outbreaks have already been described in different countries. We report for the first time a Y. pseudotuberculosis clonal outbreak in France, that occurred in 2020. An epidemiological investigation based on food queries pointed toward the consumption of tomatoes as the suspected source of infection. The Yersinia National Reference Laboratory (YNRL) developed a new cgMLST scheme with 1,921 genes specific to Y. pseudotuberculosis that identified the clustering of isolates associated with the outbreak and allowed to perform molecular typing in real time. In addition, this method allowed to retrospectively identify isolates belonging to this cluster from earlier in 2020. This method, which does not require specific bioinformatic skills, is now used systematically at the YNRL and proves to display an excellent discriminatory power and is available to the scientific community. IMPORTANCE We describe in here a novel core-genome MLST method that allowed to identify in real time, and for the first time in France, a Y. pseudotuberculosis clonal outbreak that took place during the summer 2020 in Corsica. Our method allows to support epidemiological and microbiological investigations to establish a link between patients infected with closely associated Y. pseudotuberculosis isolates, and to identify the potential source of infection. In addition, we made this method available for the scientific community.

Auteur : Savin Cyril, Le Guern Anne-Sophie, Chereau Fanny, Guglielmini Julien, Heuzé Guillaume, Demeure Christian, Pizarro-Cerdá Javier
Microbiology spectrum, 2022, p. e0114522

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Posted in food bourne outbreak, food contamination, food handler, Food Hazard, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Pathogen, Food Safety, Food Safety Management, Food Testing, Foodborne Illness, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Illness, microbial contamination, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Microbiology Risk, MLST, outbreak, Yersinia, Yersinia pseudotuberculosis

USA – More people sick as outbreak linked to Wendy’s spreads to 2 more states

Posted on September 2, 2022 by | Leave a comment

Food Safety News

Facts About Wendy's That Might Surprise You

Another 13 people have been confirmed sick in an outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 infections linked to lettuce on sandwiches from Wendy’s restaurants. Two states have been added to the outbreak.

Half of the 97 outbreak patients have been so sick that they had to be admitted to hospitals. Of the 43 hospitalized people, 10 have developed a kind of kidney failure known as hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Among the 67 people with detailed food histories, 81 percent reported eating at Wendy’s restaurants. Of 54 people with further information about what they ate at Wendy’s, 37 reported eating romaine lettuce served on burgers and other sandwiches.

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RASFF Alert – Food Poisoning – Raw Oysters

Posted on September 2, 2022 by | Leave a comment

RASFF

Food poisoning after eating oysters from France in Germany, Belgium, Finland and Netherlands

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Research – Scientists blame Listeria’s low priority for regulatory support as the likely true cause for a low-burn listeria outbreak

Posted on September 1, 2022 by | Leave a comment

Food Safety News

Government prosecutors wrapped conspiracy and fraud around the head of the former president of Blue Bell ice cream, but a hung jury did not buy it. That Texas jury was 10-to-2 in favor of acquittal.

But how then should be explained the illnesses and deaths associated with the 2015 listeriosis outbreak. Does science explain less human responsibility?

Nineteen expert researchers worked on that question, and they’ve produced a 22-page research paper with their answers. They point to an event beginning long before Blue Bell Creameries knew Listeria contamination was a threat.

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India – Telangana food poisoning cases: In last 26 days, 236 students fell sick due to contaminated food, water 

Posted on September 1, 2022 by | Leave a comment

EDEX Live

As many as 236 students studying in various educational institutions in Telangana State suffered food poisoning in the last 26 days due to contaminated food and water.

The data accumulated by the members of the Hakku initiative, a social campaign of the Institute of Perception Studies says that food poisoning incidents happened at 10 places in nine districts in the last month, as stated in a report by The New Indian Express.

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Posted in Contaminated water, Food Illness, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Poisoning, Foodborne Illness, Illness, microbial contamination, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Microbiology Risk, Poisoning, water microbiology, Water Safety

Almost 50 sick in Scotland in an outbreak from E. coli O157

Posted on September 1, 2022 by | Leave a comment

Food Safety News

Nearly 50 people are part of an outbreak of E. coli infections in Scotland, which has closed five nurseries.

E. coli has been confirmed in three nurseries, while another two are shut as investigations and testing are carried out.

A total of 47 cases have been confirmed. Officials previously said E. coli O157 had sickened a number of young people in the East Lothian area. Some patients were hospitalized but most people had mild symptoms and did not require hospital treatment.

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Canada – Several people seriously ill after suspected poisoning at Markham restaurant

Posted on August 31, 2022 by | Leave a comment

City News

York Region Public Health is investigating an incident that left several people seriously ill and in hospital after dining at a restaurant in Markham over the weekend.

York Region’s Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Barry Pakes, tells CityNews that the eatery currently being investigated is Delight Restaurant & BBQ at Markham Road and Castlemore.

Dr. Pakes said the restaurant had been closed, noting that staff and owners are cooperating with the public health unit. It’s unclear how many patrons fell ill after eating at the restaurant.

“At this time, we cannot confirm the number of individuals hospitalized or the potential cause of the severe illness,” Dr. Pakes said. 

The public health unit advised that anyone who ate food from Delight Restaurant & BBQ on Saturday, August 27, or Sunday, August 28, who is experiencing symptoms should seek medical attention.

“This includes individuals who had dine-in, takeout and delivery; please throw out any leftovers or takeout from the restaurant,” Dr. Pakes said.

“Individuals can also contact Health Connection at 1-800-361-5653 Monday to Friday 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. to report their symptoms.”

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Posted in Food Illness, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Poisoning, Foodborne Illness, Illness, microbial contamination, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Microbiology Risk, Poisoning

USA – What you need to know about E. coli O157:H7 and its complications during an Outbreak

Posted on August 31, 2022 by | Leave a comment

Food Poison Journal

E. coli O157:H7 is one of thousands of serotypes of Escherichia coli.

E. coli O157:H7 was first recognized as a pathogen in 1982 during an investigation into an outbreak of haemorrhagic colitis associated with consumption of hamburgers from a fast-food chain restaurant. Retrospective examination of more than three thousand E. coli cultures obtained between 1973 and 1982 found only one isolate with serotype O157:H7, and that was a case in 1975. In the ten years that followed, there were approximately thirty outbreaks recorded in the United States. This number is likely misleading, however, because E. coli O157:H7 infections did not become a reportable disease in any state until 1987, when Washington became the first state to mandate its reporting to public health authorities. Consequently, an outbreak would not be detected if it was not large enough to prompt investigation.

E. coli O157:H7’s ability to induce injury in humans is a result of its ability to produce numerous virulence factors, most notably Shiga toxin (Stx), which is one of the most potent toxins known to man. Shiga toxin has multiple variants (e.g., Stx1, Stx2, Stx2c), and acts like the plant toxin ricin by inhibiting protein synthesis in endothelial and other cells. Endothelial cells line the interior surface of blood vessels and are known to be extremely sensitive to E. coli O157:H7, which is cytotoxigenic to these cells.

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Posted in Bacterial Toxin, Cytotoxic, E.coli O157, E.coli O157:H7, food bourne outbreak, Food Illness, Food Toxin, Foodborne Illness, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Illness, outbreak, STEC, STEC E.coli, STX 1, STX 2, Toxin

USA – What you and your family need to know during the Wendy’s E. coli Outbreak

Posted on August 31, 2022 by | Leave a comment

Food Poison Journal

Last week the CDC reported 84 E. coli cases – 53 in Michigan, 23 in Ohio, 6 in Indiana and 2 in Pennsylvania.  However, Michigan reports at least 115 and Wood County in Ohio reports at least 23 which would bring Ohio case numbers to 37.

Read the link above to find out more

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USA – Wendy’s E. coli outbreak in Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania has sickened between 84 to 160 people

Posted on August 31, 2022 by | Leave a comment

Food Poison Journal

Last week the CDC reported 84 E. coli cases – 53 in Michigan, 23 in Ohio, 6 in Indiana and 2 in Pennsylvania.  However, Michigan reports at least 115 and Wood County in Ohio reports at least 23 which would bring Ohio case numbers to 37.

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Posted in E.coli O157, E.coli O157:H7, food bourne outbreak, food contamination, food handler, Food Hazard, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Pathogen, Food Poisoning, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Safety Management, Food Testing, Food Toxin, Foodborne Illness, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Illness, outbreak, STEC, STEC E.coli