Category Archives: foodborne outbreak

Aremenia – Food safety agents confirm Salmonella as cause of Armavir mass food poisoning incident

Posted on May 21, 2018 by | Leave a comment

Armenpress Salmonella

YEREVAN, MAY 18, ARMENPRESS. The investigation into the mass poisoning incident in Armenia’s Armavir province continues.

The suspected cause – food poisoning – has been confirmed through lab tests.

Salmonellosis has been discovered in all victims.

63 from the overall 88 victims of the food poisoning have already been treated and discharged.

The healthcare ministry says they confirm that the cause was food poisoning.

Earlier the state service for food safety has dispatched agents to Armavir province to probe the suspected food poisoning incident in the plant of Tierras de Armenia – a viticulture and winemaker known for its Karas wines.

Earlier doctors said they suspected the cause of the poisoning to be a lunchtime snack which all of the employees consumed in the cafeteria of the plant.

Agents have taken samples from the facility and sent them for laboratory analysis.

Food safety agents also ceased the operation of a businesswoman’s food supply business in relation to the incident as a precaution. The businesswoman, Alvina Melkonyan, supplied Tierras de Armenia with lunch-time food on the day when the incident happened.

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Posted in food bourne outbreak, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, outbreak, Salmonella, Uncategorized

USA – Georgia Announces Salmonella Outbreak

Posted on May 18, 2018 by | Leave a comment

Food Poison Journal

The outbreak was reported to our office on May 4th.  The investigation is ongoing.

We are still investigating the outbreak including identifying the source and commonalities among those that are ill.

Approximately 70 individuals have reported illness to the Health Department.

Many individuals have sought care with their primary physicians and/or urgent care.  At this point we are aware of four individuals who were hospitalized due to their illness.

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Posted in food bourne outbreak, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, outbreak, Salmonella, Uncategorized

RASFF Alert – Foodborne Outbreak Suspected – STEC E.coli O26:H11 – Raw Milk Reblochon

Posted on May 18, 2018 by | Leave a comment

kswfoodworld food safety poisoning

RASFF-foodborne outbreak suspected (STEC O26H11 eae+ stx2+) to be caused by raw milk reblochon from France in France

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Posted in eae, food bourne outbreak, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Poisoning, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Food Toxin, Foodborne Illness, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, RASFF, STEC, STX 2, Uncategorized

South Africa – Listeriosis under control, says health minister

Posted on May 17, 2018 by | Leave a comment

Health 24 

 

The listeriosis epidemic is under control after product recalls, Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi said during his Budget Vote in Parliament.

Cape Town – The listeriosis epidemic is under control now that meat products from Enterprise and Rainbow Chicken have been recalled, Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi told Parliament on Tuesday.

“Since the recall, we have had fewer than five cases a week in the past five weeks compared to 40 a week before the recall,” Motsoaledi said during his R205bn Budget Vote in Parliament

Health 24

Health24 spoke to Dr Juno Thomas, the Head of the Centre for Enteric Diseases at the NICD, about the severity of the situation. She asserted that while the death toll has risen, it is important to look at the cases as they continue to decline: from 90 cases to 40 cases a week.

She also explained that Listeria affects people with weaker immune systems, making babies and the elderly more vulnerable to the illness. According to Dr Thomas, pregnant women with Listeriosis pass the illness on to the baby through the placenta, “hence the severity in the baby”.

Regarding the second highest group, Dr Thomas attributes this to two factors. “Firstly, women in that group are of childbearing age, and secondly this age group has the highest statistics for HIV, making them a risk factor.”

NICD – Listeria Outbreak Statistics

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Posted in food bourne outbreak, food death, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Poisoning, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, outbreak, south africa, Uncategorized

USA – Salmonella-Contaminated Eggs Sicken 35 People Across Nine States

Posted on May 16, 2018 by | Leave a comment

Food Logistics 275px-Boiled_eggs_in_saucepan_by_Sarah_McCulloch

A salmonella outbreak attached to more than 200 million eggs has sickened 35 people, spreading across nine states.

NBC reports that 35 people across nine states have been sickened by a salmonella outbreak tied to a recall of more than 200 million eggs.

The eggs have been traced to egg-based producer Rose Acre Farms in Hyde County, North Carolina. Last month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that 23 people were sickened by the eggs, but since then the number has jumped to 35.

The 12 people that fell ill recently were in five different states along the East Coast.

According to NBC, the eggs were sold under different brands in a variety of retailers and restaurants. According to the CDC, 11 people have been hospitalized but no deaths have been reported.

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Posted in food bourne outbreak, food death, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Poisoning, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Food Toxin, foodborne disease, Foodborne Illness, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Salmonella, Uncategorized

USA – Why Are There So Many HUS Complications in the E. coli O157:H7 Romaine Outbreak? An Attorney Answers

Posted on May 15, 2018 by | Leave a comment

Food Poisoning Bulletin 

The hospitalization rate and hemolytic uremic syndrome case count in the deadly E. coli O157:H7 HUS outbreak that is linked to romaine lettuce has been very high. Typically, in an E. coli outbreak, about 30% of patients are hospitalized, and about 5 to 10% develop hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS).

But in this outbreak, the hospitalization rate is almost 50%, and 13% of those patients have developed HUS. Why is the hospitalization rate and the HUS rate so high in this particular outbreak?

Typically, the group most susceptible to developing HUS is children under the age of 5. The patient age range in this outbreak is from 1 to 88. There could be quite a few children sick, which may explain the high HUS rate.

Another explanation for the high HUS rate and the high hospitalization rate is the type of toxins the E. coli bacteria are producing. Shiga toxin-producing E. coli bacteria make two types of those toxins: Stx1 and Stx2. Unfortunately, the bacteria in this outbreak are making Stx2, which causes more damage to the body.

Another factor could be that the lettuce was contaminated with an unusually high number of bacteria. It takes just 10 E. coli bacteria to make someone sick. More bacteria can release more toxins and cause more damage.”

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Posted in E.coli, E.coli O157, E.coli O157:H7, food bourne outbreak, food death, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Poisoning, food recall, Food Safety, Food Testing, Food Toxin, foodborne disease, Foodborne Illness, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Uncategorized

USA – More Ill with Salmonella Linked to Rose Acre Farms’ Eggs

Posted on May 11, 2018 by | Leave a comment

Food Poison Journal 

Consumers, restaurants, and retailers should not eat, serve, or sell recalled eggs produced by Rose Acre Farms’ Hyde County farm. Throw them away or return them to the place of purchase for a refund.

  • These eggs were sold under multiple brand names, including Coburn Farms, Country Daybreak, Food Lion, Glenview, Great Value, Nelms, Publix, Sunshine Farms, and Sunups.
  • Check egg cartons for the following numbers: P-1065 (the plant number) and another set of numbers between 011 and 102 (the Julian date), or, for Publix and Sunups egg cartons, plant number P-1359D and Julian date 048A or 049A with Best By dates of APR 02 and APR 03.
  • Visit the FDA website for a list of recalled products.
  • Wash and sanitize drawers or shelves in refrigerators where recalled eggs were stored. Follow these five steps to clean your refrigerator.

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Posted in Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Poisoning, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Food Toxin, Foodborne Illness, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Salmonella, Uncategorized

USA – Ten People Sickened in Minnesota E. coli O157:H7 HUS Outbreak Linked to Romaine Lettuce: Lawsuits Possible

Posted on May 9, 2018 by | Leave a comment

Food Poisoning Bulletin

Ten people are sick in a Minnesota E. coli O157:H7 HUS outbreak that is linked to romaine lettuce, according to a press release issued by the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH). Those patients are not counted in the 121 case count total sickened nationwide in the update that the CDC issued last week.

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Posted in E.coli O157, E.coli O157:H7, food death, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Poisoning, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Uncategorized

Information – Will Washing Romaine Lettuce Remove E. coli O157:H7?

Posted on May 9, 2018 by | Leave a comment

Food Poisoning Bulletin 

Image CDC

Consumers are asking questions about this outbreak; namely, how can they protect themselves and their families? One of the questions is: will washing romaine lettuce and other produce eliminate the pathogenic bacteria?

The answer is, unfortunately, no. There are several reasons for this.

First, it only takes 10 Shiga toxin-producing E. coli bacteria to make a person very sick. That tiny amount is invisible to the eye. Washing romaine lettuce will not remove all the bacteria from microscopic surface of every leaf. Experts say that washing romaine lettuce and other produce can only reduce the number of bacteria that may be present, not completely eliminate them.

Second, pathogenic bacteria such as E. coli O157:H7 can form biofilms. These bacteria tend to cluster in small clumps so they can communicate with each other and protect each other. The bacteria produce a matrix made up of proteins, polysaccharides, and nucleic acids. The matrix is very dense and protects the bacteria from cleaning agents. It also protects the bacteria from antibiotics, and even desiccation. A simple rinse with water or a cleaning solution may not penetrate that biofilm.

And finally, the deeply crenelated surface of leafy greens provides lots of places for bacteria to hide. The same is true for other types of produce, especially cantaloupe. And, if there are tiny tears, bruises, or rips in the lettuce leaf, the bacteria can actually get inside. No amount of washing any kind of produce can reach the bacteria then.

The only thing that will kill E. coli bacteria is heat; the food must be heated to 160°F. There are very few recipes that call for cooked romaine lettuce. Grilling romaine lettuce halves will not increase the temperature enough to kill any bacteria that may be present.

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Posted in E.coli O157, E.coli O157:H7, food bourne outbreak, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Poisoning, food recall, Food Safety, Food Testing, Foodborne Illness, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Illness, outbreak, Uncategorized

Information – At least 9 countries affected by US eggs salmonella outbreak

Posted on May 9, 2018 by | Leave a comment

Poultry World 

At least 9 countries have been caught up in the US egg salmonella outbreak, according to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

The FDA said this week that eggs from Rose Acre Farms, the company at the centre of the massive egg recall, were distributed to:

  1. the United Arab Emirates,
  2. Haiti, the Bahamas,
  3. Hong Kong,
  4. Cayman Islands,
  5. Turks and Caicos Islands,
  6. Saint Barthélemy,
  7. Saint Martin
  8. Aruba
  9. the US Virgin Islands.

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Posted in food bourne outbreak, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Poisoning, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Foodborne Illness, foodborne outbreak, Salmonella, Uncategorized