Category Archives: foodbourne outbreak

USA – FDA Core Outbreak Table Update

Posted on January 6, 2022 by | Leave a comment

FDA

The FDA CORE Outbreak Table has six active food poisoning investigations this week; all but one has been identified or solved. The Salmonella Javiana outbreak, which was announced on November 24, 2021, is still not identified, and the number of people sickened in that outbreak has increased to 64.

Date
Posted		 Reference
#		 Pathogen
 Product(s)
Linked to
Illnesses
(if any)
12/29/

2021

 1052 E. coli
O157:H7		 Packaged Salad
12/20/

2021

 1039 Listeria
monocytogenes		 Packaged Salad
12/15/

2021

 1048 Listeria
monocytogenes		 Packaged Salad
11/24/

2021

 1044 Salmonella Javiana Not Yet
Identified
11/17/

2021

 1043 E. coli
O157:H7		 Spinach
9/15/

2021

 1031 Salmonella
Oranienburg		 Red, Yellow,
and White Onion

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Posted in E.coli O157, E.coli O157:H7, FDA, 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, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, outbreak, Salmonella, Salmonella Oranienburg

USA – Hepatitis A outbreak linked to unnamed Italian restaurant in Montgomery County Pennsylvania – 8 cases with 1 death – Hepatitis A scare tied to Russellville Arkansas Wendy’s

Posted on January 6, 2022 by | Leave a comment

Food Poison Journal

Food Safety News reports that State officials are reporting a hepatitis A outbreak among patrons of an unnamed Italian restaurant in Pennsylvania. One death is being investigated as part of the outbreak.

The Pennsylvania Department of Health and the Montgomery County Office of Public Health are investigating the outbreak in southeast Pennsylvania.

Health officials report that there are eight confirmed patients among Pennsylvania residents in Montgomery County. Of seven people with information available, six have been so sick they had to be admitted to hospitals.

Hepatitis A is a highly contagious, vaccine-preventable, liver infection caused by the hepatitis A virus ranging in severity from mild infection lasting a few weeks to severe disease lasting several months, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

The virus usually spreads when a person unknowingly ingests microscopic amounts of it from objects, food or drinks contaminated by an infected person.

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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 Testing, Food Pathogen, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Food Virus, Foodborne Illness, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Hepatitis A, Illness, outbreak, Virus

France- Large drop but France still records more than 1,000 outbreaks in 2020

Posted on January 5, 2022 by | Leave a comment

Food Safety News

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The number of outbreaks fell by more than 40 percent in France in 2020, largely because of COVID-19 measures, according to new numbers from the French public health agency.

Overall, 1,010 outbreaks were declared in 2020 affecting 6,814 people. Of these, 396 went to hospitals and nine died. Officials are compiling outbreak numbers for 2021.

In 2020, outbreaks went down by 43 percent from 1,783 in 2019 when 15,641 people were sickened, according to Sante publique France.

The drop in outbreaks is greater for those linked to commercial and catering settings but can be seen, to a lesser extent, for domestic outbreaks. The decrease is more marked during times of lockdown because of the pandemic but can also be noted outside these periods when social distancing measures, working from home and closure of restaurants were in place.

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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, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, outbreak, Research

Thailand – Norovirus outbreak reported in Chanthaburi

Posted on January 4, 2022 by | Leave a comment

Outbreak News Today

Norovirus Food Safety kswfoodworld

According to the Head of the Clinical Emerging Disease Center Chulalongkorn Hospital, Asst. Prof. Dr. Opas Putcharoen said test results of 6 out of 8 people patients were Norovirus Genogroup II.

Earlier this week, reporters reported that their were a number of people on social media posting messages about the phenomenon of people in Chanthaburi province who had diarrhea, food poisoning and abdominal pain at the same time.

Reports are in residents and tourists. A specific location or food source has not been reported.

Officials recommend careful handwashing with soap and water.

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Posted in food bourne outbreak, Food Illness, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Virus, Foodborne Illness, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Illness, microbial contamination, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Norovirus, outbreak, Virus

USA – Alaska hit with 2 E. coli illnesses linked to Simple Truth Organic Power Greens and Nature’s Basket Organic Power Greens – E.coli O157

Posted on December 31, 2021 by | Leave a comment

Food Poison Journal

As of December 29, 2021, 13 people infected with the outbreak strain of E. coli O157:H7 have been reported from six states. Illnesses started on dates ranging from November 27, 2021, to December 9, 2021.

Sick people range in age from 4 to 79 years, with a median age of 54, and 92% are female. Of 12 people with information available, four have been hospitalized and one person developed a type of kidney failure called hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). No deaths have been reported.

State and local public health officials are interviewing people about the foods they ate in the week before they got sick. Of 12 people interviewed, all reported eating packaged salads. Of 10 people who provided brand information, 6 ate or bought Simple Truth Organic Power Greens and 1 ate Nature’s Basket Organic Power Greens. Both Organic Power Greens salads have the same mix of leafy greens: organic spinach, mizuna, kale, and chard. Several sick people reported using these salads in smoothies.

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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 Testing, Food Toxin, Foodborne Illness, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Illness, outbreak, STEC, STEC E.coli

RASFF Alert – EIEC Outbreak – Spring Onions

Posted on December 31, 2021 by | Leave a comment

RASFF

Spring onions from Egypt suspected to be the source of an outbreak of EIEC in Denmark

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Posted in Bacterial Toxin, E.coli, EIEC, 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 Testing, Food Toxin, Foodborne Illness, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Illness, outbreak, RASFF, Toxin

EU – Europe Increases Checks on Melons after Salmonella Outbreak

Posted on December 30, 2021 by | Leave a comment

Food Safety News

The European Commission has tightened the rules around imports of Galia melons from Honduras because of a recent Salmonella outbreak.

Emergence of a risk to human health because of possible Salmonella Braenderup contamination means official controls are to be increased with identity and physical checks on 10 percent of consignments entering the EU beginning Jan. 6.

The multi-country outbreak of Salmonella Braenderup that affected more than 350 people was traced to Galia melons from Honduras. Four people were sick in the United States and two in Canada. The UK was the most affected but ill people were also from Sweden, Belgium, Germany, Denmark, Netherlands, Switzerland, Austria, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Ireland, Luxembourg and Norway.

A sample of Salmonella Braenderup that matched the outbreak strain was found on the surface of a washing tank in one of the Honduran facilities where Galia melons were packed. The harvest season started again this month.

However, authorities in Honduras said the cause cannot be confirmed to be Galia melons from the country because a case was reported in July 2021 in Denmark, and no melons from Honduras were exported at that time.

The updated regulation temporarily changes the rate of official controls and puts emergency measures on entry into the EU of certain goods from some non-EU countries. Rules are modified every six months to account for new information on risks to health and non-compliance with EU legislation.

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

Slovenia – Around 100 people in Ilirska Bistrica infected with Norovirus

Posted on December 30, 2021 by | Leave a comment

STA

norovirus-1080x655

Ilirska Bistrica, 29 December – After the public broadcaster RTV Slovenija reported of a mass food poisoning in the Ilirska Bistrica area in south-eastern Slovenia, further investigations revealed that around a hundred people contracted norovirus, which can be transmitted in various ways, not just through food.

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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 Testing, Food Pathogen, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Food Virus, Foodborne Illness, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Illness, Norovirus, outbreak, Virus

USA – FDA Core Table Update

Posted on December 30, 2021 by | Leave a comment

FDA

Five outbreaks still active, two with source still unidentified.

Date
Posted		 Reference
#		 Pathogen
 Product(s)
Linked to
Illnesses
(if any)		 Total
Case Count
12/29/2021 1052 E. coli O157:H7 Not Yet Identified 11
12/20/2021 1039 Listeria
monocytogenes		 Packaged Salad See Outbreak
Advisory
12/15/2021 1048 Listeria
monocytogenes		 Packaged Salad See Outbreak
Advisory
11/24/2021 1044 Salmonella

Javiana

 Not Yet
Identified		 60
11/17/2021 1043 E. coli
O157:H7		 Spinach See Outbreak
Advisory
9/15/2021 1031 Salmonella
Oranienburg		 Red, Yellow,
and White Onions		 See Outbreak
Advisory

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Posted in E.coli O157, E.coli O157:H7, FDA, food bourne outbreak, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Testing, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, microbial contamination, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, outbreak, Salmonella, Salmonella Oranienburg

Research – Multistate Outbreak of Salmonella enterica Serovar Heidelberg with Unidentified Source, Australia, 2018–2019

Posted on December 29, 2021 by | Leave a comment

CDC

Abstract

We report a multistate Salmonella enterica serovar Heidelberg outbreak in Australia during 2018–2019. Laboratory investigation of cases reported across 5 jurisdictions over a 7-month period could not identify a source of infection but detected indicators of severity and invasiveness. The hospitalization rate of 36% suggested a moderately severe clinical picture.

Salmonella enterica serovar Heidelberg is a frequently identified serotype among infections in humans in North America, East Africa, and Asia but is uncommon in Australia. An average of 37 cases of Salmonella Heidelberg were notified in Australia annually in 2009–2017, predominantly overseas acquired (1). Six outbreaks have been reported nationally since 1995; 1 outbreak in 1996 had >500 cases, but most have <7 cases (R. Bell, pers. comm. [email], 2020 Jun 16). We report a national outbreak of Salmonella Heidelberg infection across 5 jurisdictions over 7 months.

We report a national outbreak investigation of a locally uncommon S. enterica serovar of unknown origins in Australia. Although Salmonella Heidelberg outbreaks are relatively uncommon in Australia, given this outbreak’s comparatively high hospitalization rate and the presence of saf fimbrial genes in the implicated strain, future cases warrant prompt investigation to assess severity and invasiveness. A platform for real-time exchange of sequence data in Australia and use of routine WGS for salmonellosis cases, including comparison with local and international strain data, may enable more timely detection of outbreaks.

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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 Testing, Food Pathogen, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Foodborne Illness, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Illness, outbreak, Salmonella