Data from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) shows Listeria infections rose slightly in 2023 and seven outbreaks were investigated.
In 2023, 177 listeriosis cases were reported in England and Wales compared to 167 in 2022. This is the highest level since 180 infections were noted in 2016.
For non-pregnancy-associated cases, death was reported for 32 people, of whom 11 had listeriosis recorded as a cause of death on the death certificate.
The number of outbreaks and people sick in them in the Netherlands has gone down compared to the previous year, according to statistics recently reported.
In 2023, 911 outbreaks were reported, with 3,500 people falling ill. In 2022, there were 1,173 outbreaks and 4,505 sick people.
Norovirus, Salmonella, and Campylobacter were still the most commonly identified causes of outbreaks in 2023.
Listeria, caused by the bacterium Listeria monocytogenes, is a potentially life-threatening foodborne illness that poses significant risks, especially to certain populations. While healthy individuals may experience only mild symptoms, those with compromised immune systems, including pregnant women, newborns, the elderly, and people with chronic illnesses, are particularly vulnerable to severe complications. Understanding how listeria is contracted, the symptoms it causes, and the best prevention methods is crucial to protecting public health.
A 10th death has been reported in an outbreak of Listeria infections traced to Boar’s Head deli meats. The outbreak has sickened 59 people in 19 states. All of the patients have required hospitalization.
The company recalled more than 7 million pounds of its products in July. Testing has shown that Boar’s Head deli meat was contaminated with the same strain of Listeria monocytogenes that has sickened people.
The company has closed its Jarratt, VA, production plant that manufactured the implicated products and has permanently discontinued production of liverwurst nationwide.
TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Gastroenteritis cases have continued after the Mid-Autumn Festival, and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimated the outbreak will peak in early October.
The CDC announced Tuesday (Sept. 24) that from Sept.15-21, there were approximately 147,000 medical visits for diarrhea, a 5.7% increase from the previous week, per CNA. A total of 123 cluster cases of diarrhea were reported, marking a five-year high for both medical visits and cluster reports.
CDC Epidemic Intelligence Center Director Guo Hung-wei (郭宏偉) said pathogen tests showed 47 positive cases, with norovirus detected in 28 cases, accounting for 60%, followed by Vibrio parahaemolyticus in 12 cases, making up 25.5%.
The gastroenteritis outbreak typically peaks around the Mid-Autumn Festival each year. CDC Deputy Director Lo Yi-chun (羅一鈞) said that the peak of this diarrhea outbreak is expected to occur around early October.
A rare type of Salmonella has sickened 20 people in Denmark and 17 in Austria.
Since July, the Statens Serum Institut (SSI) has recorded 20 cases of Salmonella Umbilo.
There are 14 men and six women sick. Patients range from under 1 to 85 years old, and the median age is 52.
After initiating an investigation last week, the L.A. County Department of Public Health confirmed that 20 cases of salmonella have been linked to a Mexican restaurant in Valencia as of Monday afternoon.
The investigation began following a number of reports of people experiencing symptoms of food poisoning after dining at Madre Oaxacan Restaurant & Mezcaleria between Sept. 12 and 14.
According to Ivan Vasquez, owner of the restaurant, a health inspector is coming Tuesday morning to do a check-in. If all goes well, the restaurant could reopen as soon as Wednesday evening.
Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) serotype O157 is a food-borne gastrointestinal pathogen of public health concern. Infections with STEC can present as sporadic cases or as outbreaks, and they can be symptomatic or asymptomatic. Symptoms can range from mild diarrhoea to abdominal cramps, vomiting and severe bloody diarrhoea, with ca 30% of cases requiring hospital admission. Overall, around 5% of cases (rising to 11% in children aged 1–4 years) develop haemolytic-uraemic syndrome (HUS), which is a severe multisystem condition that predominantly affects the kidneys and can be fatal [1].
In 2022, STEC was the third most commonly notified food-borne zoonotic pathogen in the European Union/European Economic Area (EU/EEA) countries [2]. Of the 29 EU/EEA countries reporting data for 2022, 25 reported 8,565 confirmed cases of STEC infection [3], with 71 food-borne STEC outbreaks reported by 14 countries [4].
The gastrointestinal tract of ruminants is the ecological niche of STEC, with cattle and sheep being the main animal reservoirs [5]. Transmission from animals to humans can occur via direct contact with colonised animals or their environment or by the consumption of food or water contaminated with the pathogen. Food items frequently associated with food-borne outbreaks of STEC O157 include raw or undercooked beef or lamb meat products, unpasteurised dairy products and fresh produce exposed to rainwater run-off, floodwater or irrigation water containing animal faeces [6].
Climate hazards have previously been described as having the potential to activate cascading risk pathways with a sequence of secondary, causally connected events [7]. For example, cascading risks associated with heavy precipitation followed by flooding of animal environments, may lead to contamination of crops and cause food-borne outbreaks of zoonotic diseases. Higher pathogen loads frequently detected in floodwater after rainstorms [8,9] and extreme weather events have been associated with outbreaks of gastrointestinal illness [10–12].
In late August and early September 2022, the United Kingdom (UK) Health Security Agency (UKHSA) Gastrointestinal Bacteria Reference Unit (GBRU) reported a substantial increase in the submission of containment level 3 faecal samples and isolates that were presumptive for STEC. The number of presumptive STEC isolates received by the reference laboratory in the first 6 days of September 2022 was 245, compared with 259 isolates received during the whole of September 2019, the most recent pre-pandemic year for which data were comparable. Between 5 and 7 September, the number of confirmed STEC O157 cases was 73 compared with an average of 16 cases of STEC O157 reported each week in the previous 4 weeks. This, coupled with a substantial increase in the number of enhanced surveillance questionnaires (ESQs) for STEC cases suggested a surge in cases warranting further investigation. On 7 September 2022, a national level outbreak was declared and a multi-agency incident management team (IMT) established.
The IMT aimed to investigate the source of the outbreak by undertaking traditional epidemiological analyses and traceback investigations. A separate sub-group of the IMT explored a novel triangulation methodology using meteorological, flood risk, land use and land-classification and sheep holding density data, to explain the contamination and independently determine the potential source of the STEC outbreak.
Swedish health officials are searching for the source of a Salmonella outbreak that has affected almost 30 people.
Folkhälsomyndigheten (the Public Health Agency of Sweden) reported that the number of reported cases of Salmonella has increased significantly since August.
Whole genome sequencing has shown that 27 people have the same type of Salmonella Typhimurium. They are suspected of having been infected by a common source.
Botulism from adulterated pesto sauce is suspected in the illness of five people who are all currently receiving medical treatment. Botulism is a potentially fatal illness caused by a potent toxin that attacks the nervous system.
The incident occurred in west-central France, where authorities believe a locally produced sauce may have been contaminated with the pathogen.
Botulism can occur when the bacterium Clostridium botulinum grows and produces toxins. Symptoms of botulism can include general weakness, dizziness, double vision, difficulty speaking or swallowing, breathing problems, muscle weakness, abdominal distension, and constipation. These symptoms may appear anywhere from six hours to two weeks after consuming contaminated food.
Failure to treat botulism can result in death. Public awareness and medical advancements have greatly increased the likelihood of surviving botulism food poisoning. In the past fifty years, over half of all botulism cases proved fatal, though that figure recently dropped to 3-5 percent.
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