Category Archives: foodborne outbreak

USA – Patient count growing in Salmonella outbreak from unknown source; other investigations ongoing

Posted on November 25, 2022 by | Leave a comment

Food Safety News

An outbreak of infections from Salmonella Typhimurium is slowly growing according to the FDA, and an investigation into an outbreak of E. coli infections has been closed.

For the Salmonella outbreak, the number of patients has increased from 264 to 269, but the Food and Drug Administration has not reported the patients’ states of residence.

The agency has begun traceback efforts but has not revealed what food or foods are being traced. The FDA has begun sample collection and analysis, but has not revealed what is being collected or sampled.

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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

Viet Nam – Salmonella, Bacillus cereus, E.coli detected in food samples in Nha Trang school outbreak

Posted on November 24, 2022 by | Leave a comment

Outbreak News Today

In a follow-up on the food poisoning outbreak that affected hundreds of schoolchildren at the Ischool Nha Trang in Khanh Hoa province, Vietnam, health officials now report test results from the Pasteur Institute Nha Trang show pathogenic bacteria were found in the fried chicken wings of the meal, causing the outbreak which sickened students at a Ischool Nha Trang.

Specifically, Salmonella sp., Bacillus cereus and Escherichia coli were detected in food samples. In addition, Bacillus cereus was also detected in fish sauce samples.

According to our previous report, some 400 students were sickened including more than 200 hospitalizations and one death was reported in a first grade student after eating a school lunch.

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Posted in Bacillus cereus, E.coli, escherichia coli, 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, microbial contamination, Microbial growth, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Microbiology Risk, outbreak, Salmonella

Israel – After Recall in April Over Salmonella Concerns, Elite Chocolate Brands Return to Shelves in Israel

Posted on November 24, 2022 by | Leave a comment

Haaretz

Israel’s top chocolate manufacturer announced on Tuesday that it is reintroducing several lines of candy to the Israeli market following a nationwide recall earlier this year due to salmonella contamination.

In a statement, the Strauss Group said that products from its Elite chocolate line, including the Parra brand, Pesek Zman and Kif Kef candy bars, would “gradually return to the shelves.” The move follows the reopening of its factory in Nof Hagalil in Israel’s north, where the salmonella was discovered. The company said that it has made “significant investments … to ensure the quality and safety of the products at the highest level.”

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

Research – Why throwing out food isn’t enough to stop the spread of Listeria

Posted on November 24, 2022 by | Leave a comment

FOX 10

If you have contaminated food in your fridge, throwing it away isn’t enough to stop the spread of listeria and other food-borne illnesses.

That’s the message the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is reiterating amid recent listeria and other food-borne outbreaks.

Earlier this month, the CDC announced one person died and 13 were hospitalized across six states in a listeria outbreak linked to contaminated deli meat and cheese. Illnesses were reported in Illinois, New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, California and Maryland, where one person died.

Listeria outbreaks have also been linked to soft cheeses, mushrooms, hard-boiled eggs and a wide range of other foods.

The CDC says foods and surfaces become cross-contaminated. From there, the germs spread to shelves and drawers, then to other foods and the human hands that touch them.

But health experts say there’s a simple solution for stopping the spread of listeria: clean your fridge.

Take out all removable parts and wash them with hot, soapy water. After you clean the inside of the fridge, the CDC recommends adding a tablespoon of bleach to one gallon of water and using that water to wipe down the fridge one more time.

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

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

Posted on November 24, 2022 by | Leave a comment

FDA

What’s New

  • For the Listeria monocytogenes outbreak (reference #1127), the product linked to illnesses has been updated to imported enoki mushrooms. CDC posted an investigation notice on this incident.
  • For the Salmonella Typhimurium outbreak in a not yet identified food (reference #1113), the case count has increased from 264 cases to 269 cases, and sample collection and analysis have been initiated.
  • For the E. coli O157 (reference #1121) in a not identified food, the investigation status has ended.

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Posted in FDA, 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, Salmonella

Research – Salmonella not detected on NZ poultry farms since September

Posted on November 23, 2022 by | Leave a comment

RNZ

Efforts to eradicate salmonella enteritidis from the poultry industry are on track with no properties under restricted movement controls.

The bacteria strain was first found in an Auckland hatchery in March last year.

Since then 14 sites tested positive for the strain, about 550 thousand birds have been culled and 130 people became unwell with the bacteria.

Salmonella enteritidis can cause abdominal cramps, diarrhoea, fever, headache and vomiting in people.

New Zealand Food Safety deputy director general Vincent Arbuckle said control efforts were paying off.

Salmonella enteritidis had not been detected on farm since early September and the last case detected in a human was May, he said.

“It’s almost a textbook example of the regulator working with the poultry industry and individual farmers, what was a pretty serious outbreak in 2021. Through careful work with the industry, we believe we’ve got a well contained now.

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Viet Nam – Mass food poisoning at Nha Trang school caused by Salmonella bacteria

Posted on November 23, 2022 by | Leave a comment

VN Express

Health officials confirmed over 600 students of Ischool in Nha Trang in the central province of Khanh Hoa were poisoned with the Salmonella bacteria that is sensitive to most antibiotics.

Khanh Hoa Health Department announced the cause four days after the mass food poisoning case on November 17. Among the victims, a 6-year-old boy died on Sunday en route to a HCMC hospital.

Doctor Doan Uyen Vy, an anti-poison expert of Cho Ray Hospital in HCMC, told VnExpress that Salmonella is a common culprit in many food poisoning cases from mild to severe.

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Posted in Death, Decontamination Microbial, food bourne outbreak, food death, 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, microbial contamination, Microbial growth, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Microbiology Risk, outbreak

 USA – Salmonella Typhimurium outbreak (reference # 1113) 

Posted on November 21, 2022 by | Leave a comment

Food Poisoning News

kswfoodworld salmonella

As of November 16, 2022, a Salmonella Typhimurium outbreak (reference # 1113) has been identified in the United States with no known source as the cause of the outbreak. A total of 264 cases have been identified in connection with the outbreak, though the number of actual cases is thought to be much higher and the investigation remains ongoing. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is leading the investigation in collaboration with both federal, state, and local partners. The FDA is currently working vigilantly to find the source of the Salmonella Typhimurium outbreak and will update the public accordingly.

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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

Viet Nam – 257 students hospitalized after school lunch – Suspected Food Poisoning

Posted on November 21, 2022 by | Leave a comment

VN Express

257 students at a school in central Khanh Hoa Province were rushed to hospital after lunch after showing signs of food poisoning.

Following a Thursday lunch at Ischool, with over 900 students signing up for lunch, dozens of them began to show signs of stomachache, vomiting, diarrhea and fever, according to the Khanh Hoa Department of Health.

They were later rushed to multiple hospitals. As of Friday noon, five hospitals have received a total of 149 students. Their health is now stable.

The health department is still updating the data, and no final number of affected students has been made as some of them may not go to the hospital.

Pham Huu Binh, principal of the school which consists classes from first to 12th grades, said food samples of the lunch on Thursday have been sent to a medical center for analysis. The lunch consisted of rice, boiled chicken and sauces made from eggs and oil.

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Posted in food bourne outbreak, food contamination, Food Hazard, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Pathogen, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Safety Management, Food Testing, Foodborne Illness, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Illness, outbreak

USA – CDC Investigation Notice – Listeria Outbreak Linked to Enoki Mushrooms

Posted on November 18, 2022 by | Leave a comment

CDC

Listeria is especially harmful if you are pregnant, aged 65 or older, or have a weakened immune system. If you are in any of these groups, do not eat raw enoki mushrooms. Cook enoki mushrooms thoroughly to kill any foodborne germs.

Investigators are working to identify specific brands of enoki mushrooms that may be contaminated with the outbreak strain of Listeria. However, many brands of enoki mushrooms have been recalled since the 2020 Listeria outbreak linked to enoki mushrooms.

Fast Facts
  • Illnesses: 2
  • Hospitalizations: 2
  • Deaths: 0
  • States: 2
  • Recall: No
  • Investigation status: Active
Enoki mushrooms on a white background
Listeria in Enoki Mushrooms

Enoki mushrooms are white and have long, thin stems. They are often sold in a bunch with roots in sealed plastic packaging. They are popular in Japanese, Chinese, and Korean food, and they are almost always eaten cooked in soups, hot pots, and stir-fried dishes.

In 2020, CDC investigated the first known Listeria outbreak in the United States linked to enoki mushrooms. This outbreak resulted in three recalls of enoki mushrooms that were imported from Korea. Since then, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and public health officials from several states have been collecting samples of enoki mushrooms and found Listeria in many samples, resulting in more than 20 recalls of enoki mushrooms.

Source of the Outbreak

Information collected so far shows that enoki mushrooms are the likely source of these illnesses.

Both sick people reported eating enoki mushrooms or eating at restaurants with menu items containing enoki mushrooms. The outbreak strain was previously found in one sample of enoki mushrooms that FDA collected at import. However, to date, the firm associated with this sample has not been identified as a potential source of enoki mushrooms in this outbreak.

Investigators are working to identify specific brands of enoki mushrooms linked to these illnesses.

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Posted in CDC, 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 recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Safety Management, Foodborne Illness, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Illness, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, outbreak