Category Archives: foodborne outbreak

CDC issues Salmonella alert for people traveling to Mexico

Food Safety News

Public health officials in the United States are warning travellers who have spent time in Mexico to be aware of multidrug-resistant strains of Salmonella Newport.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that some travellers have been infected with the strains, which have developed the ability to defeat drugs designed to kill them. Salmonella infections from the strains can be difficult to treat and result in very serious illnesses.

“Many travelers with MDR (multidrug-resistant) Salmonella Newport infections reported eating beef, cheese — including queso fresco and Oaxaca— beef jerky, or dried beef — carne seca — before they got sick,” according to the alert from the CDC.

Nestlé eyes November re-opening of E. coli-hit Buitoni plant

Just Food

Nestlé is lining up the return of production at a Buitoni factory in France at the centre of a fatal E. coli outbreak earlier this year.

The world’s largest food maker said the site, located in Caudry in northern France, could see output resume in November, subject to the approval of local officials.

France’s national public health agency, Santé Publique France, made its first statement on rising cases of haemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) or Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) on 25 February.

New Zealand strengthens tahini controls after outbreak

Food Safety News

Authorities in New Zealand have tightened the import rules around tahini and halva from Syria following a recall and outbreak.

An outbreak of Salmonella Kintambo earlier this year involved three patients who had consumed sesame-based products from Syria. Two people were hospitalized. Sequencing of clinical isolates showed cases were closely genetically related and had the same sequence type as in an ongoing European outbreak linked to the same type of products.

In July, Middle East recalled specific batches of Algota brand Sesame Tahini because of the possible presence of Salmonella.

New Zealand Food Safety testing of tahini and halva products found Salmonella Kintambo, Salmonella Amsterdam and Salmonella Orion.

The agency has amended the sampling plan for such high risk products. Changes mean all consignments of crushed sesame seed products, such as tahini and halva, must be sampled and tested for Salmonella, when exported from Syria or if they originate from the country.

Telangana: 27 children take ill, hospitalised due to suspected food poisoning.

Live Mint

A total of 27 children were reportedly hospitalised due to food poisoning in Adilabad, said the officials on Tuesday. These children were taken to the hospital after they complained of nausea and vomiting. District Magistrate, Adilabad Prabhakar Reddy said, “yesterday night, 27 children from Kaga Nagar Minority Boys hostel Gurukul were admitted to a local hospital complaining of vomiting and nausea. A detailed inquiry has been ordered and we are investigating the matter,” according to ANI report.

The tragic incident took place after the cooks avoided washing grains and rice before cooking due to a shortage of staff,

Japan – Escherichia coli O157 outbreak in Kyoto Prefecture, Japan.

Minyu

Kyoto Prefecture announced on the 15th that a woman in her 90s who complained of diarrhea and abdominal pain after eating beef yukhoe sold by MEAT & FRESH TAKAMI, a meat dealer in Uji City, Kyoto Prefecture, died. Enterohemorrhagic E. coli O157 was detected in the woman’s stool.

In addition, 22 men and women between the ages of 9 and 87 who ate yukhoe and roast beef at this restaurant complained of similar symptoms, and O157 was detected in 12 people including asymptomatic people. The prefectural government determined that these foods were the cause of the food poisoning.

 On August 27, the deceased woman ate yukhoe sold as “rare steak” at home, and developed symptoms on September 2. She died in hospital on the 15th. Twenty-two ate from August 21-26.

Research – A summary of cryptosporidiosis outbreaks reported in France and overseas departments, 2017–2020

Science Direct

water contamination

Abstract

Cryptosporidium is a known foodborne pathogen, ranked fifth out of 24 among foodborne parasites in terms of importance and a cause of many cryptosporidiosis outbreaks worldwide. In France, very few outbreaks were reported before 2017, and data recently obtained by the Expert Laboratory of the Cryptosporidiosis National Reference Center (CNR-LE-Cryptosporidiosis) have shown that outbreaks are in fact common and frequently underreported. In this work, we aim to report the characteristics of outbreaks detected in France during the period 2017–2020 and present a summary of investigations carried out by the CNR-LE-Cryptosporidiosis. During the study period, there were eleven cryptosporidiosis outbreaks, including three with no identified origin. Among the eight identified outbreaks: six were due to water contamination (five tap water and one recreational water), one was due to direct contact with infected calves, and one was due to consumption of contaminated curd cheese. Among these outbreaks, five of them exceeded one hundred cases. Recent results obtained by the CNR-LE-Cryptosporidiosis revealed the multiannual occurrence of Cryptosporidium outbreaks in France. Waterborne outbreaks were more frequently detected, while foodborne outbreaks which are more difficult to detect were likely underreported.

Malaysia – 900 victims of Food Poisoning were reported in the first eight months of this year in Perak

The Sun Daily

Some 23 food poisoning cases involving 900 victims were reported in the first eight months of this year in Perak, said State Health, Science, Environment and Green Technology Committee chairman Mohd Akmal Kamarudin.

He said the Ministry of Health (MOH) is investigating the cause of the death of a food handler at a MOH training centre in Taiping three weeks ago to determine whether it was due to food poisoning or other illnesses.

According to him, so far there have been six incidents of food poisoning in schools (169 cases), public institutions (eight cases with 572 victims), factories (two cases with 66 victims), private homes (five cases with 24 victims), prison (one case with 22 victims) and external caterer (one case).

USA – Food Poisoning Outbreak in McHenry County, IL at D. C. Cobb’s

Food Poisoning Bulletin

A food poisoning outbreak in McHenry County, Illinois at D. C. Cobb’s restaurant has sickened at least 13 people, according to the McHenry County Health Department. That restaurant is located at 1204 North Green Street in McHenry.

Food Poisoning Outbreak in McHenry County, IL at D. C. Cobb’s

A food poisoning outbreak in McHenry County, Illinois at D. C. Cobb’s restaurant has sickened at least 13 people, according to the McHenry County Health Department. That restaurant is located at 1204 North Green Street in McHenry.

The outbreak was identified when public health officials reviewed complaints of people who got sick after eating at that establishment. An investigation into the pathogen that caused these illnesses, and the possible source of the pathogen has been launched.

Syria – Cholera outbreak

Jpost

Food Illness

cholera outbreak in several regions of Syria presents “a serious threat to people in Syria and the region”, the United Nations representative in the country said, calling for an urgent response to contain its spread.

The outbreak is believed to be linked to irrigation of crops using contaminated water and people drinking unsafe water from the Euphrates river which bisects Syria from the north to the east, UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator Imran Riza said in a statement.

Research – Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) infection – Annual Epidemiological Report for 2020

ECDC

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For 2020, 28 EU/EEA countries reported 4 824 confirmed cases of Shiga toxin -producing Escherichia coli (STEC) infection. The overall notification rate was 1.6 cases per 100 000 population. The highest notification rates were reported in Ireland, Malta, Denmark, and Norway. The EU/EEA notification rate decreased notably in 2020 compared with 2016-2019 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The highest rate of confirmed cases was observed in 0–4-year-old children, with 8.6 cases per 100 000 population for males and 7.5 cases per 100 000 population for females.

Click to access STEC-infection-AER-2020-JD-FINAL.pdf