Category Archives: foodbourne outbreak

RASFF Alert – Outbreak of human Salmonellosis – Chicken Burger Meat

Posted on December 10, 2021 by | Leave a comment

RASFF

Outbreak of human salmonellosis associated with consumption of chicken burger meat from Spain in Poland

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USA – FDA Core Investigation Table Update

Posted on December 9, 2021 by | Leave a comment

FDA

Increase in numbers of cases from Salmonella Javiana, source still not identified

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Posted in E.coli O157, E.coli O157:H7, 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, microbial contamination, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, outbreak, Research, Salmonella

Ukraine – Four hospitalized with botulism after eating homemade canned mushrooms

Posted on December 7, 2021 by | Leave a comment

Outbreak News Today

In Sumy Oblast in northeastern Ukraine, four people were hospitalized with botulism after eating homemade canned mushrooms at a dinner in the city of Lebedin.

According to the medical director of the Clinical Center for Infectious Diseases and Dermatology, Krasovitsky Irina Trotskaya, two victims were hospitalized at the center for infectious diseases in Sumy, two remained to be treated in the city hospital.

So far in 2021, Ukraine has reported 80 foodborne botulism outbreaks involving 89 patients, including three children.

In most cases, botulism in Ukraine is due to the consumption of dried and salted freshwater and sea fish (40%), meat, fish, vegetables, mushroom canned food and other meat products made at home or bought in unauthorized places.

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Posted in botulism, Clostridium, Clostridium botulinum, Death, food bourne outbreak, food contamination, food death, 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 Poisoning Death, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Food Toxin, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, outbreak

USA – Outbreak Investigation of Salmonella Thompson – Seafood (October 2021) – Outbreak Over.

Posted on December 6, 2021 by | Leave a comment

FDA

The FDA, along with CDC and state and local partners, investigated a multistate outbreak of Salmonella Thompson infections linked to seafood manufactured or processed by Northeast Seafood Products, Inc. of Denver, CO. As of 12/6/2021, the CDC has declared this outbreak over. According to CDC, the majority of sick people were either Colorado residents or reported traveling to Colorado in the week before they got sick.

FDA’s traceback investigation identified Northeast Seafood Products, Inc. as a common distributor among illness sub-clusters. As part of this outbreak investigation, environmental samples were collected from Northeast Seafood Products, Inc. On 10/7/2021, environmental samples collected from Northeast Seafood Products, Inc. were reported positive for Salmonella Thompson and were determined to be a match to the outbreak strain through whole genome sequencing.

On 10/8/2021, Northeast Seafood Products, Inc. recalled Haddock, Monkfish, Bone-in Trout, Grouper, Red Snapper, Red Rock Cod, Ocean Perch, Pacific Cod, Halibut, Coho Salmon, Atlantic Salmon Portions, Lane Snapper, Tilapia, All Natural Salmon Fillet, Pacific Sole, and Farm Raised Striped Bass. These products were sold to restaurant and Albertsons, Safeway, and Sprouts supermarkets in Colorado. The Pacific Cod sold through Sprouts is not being recalled. A full list of recalled products is available on FDA’s website.

Recommendation

Consumers, restaurants, and retailers should not eat, sell, or serve any recalled seafood. Recalled seafood was sold fresh and would be past shelf-life unless it was frozen after purchase. FDA recommends that anyone who might have purchased or received recalled product, check their freezers and throw away recalled product.

A full list of recalled products is available on FDA’s website.

Map of U.S. Distribution of Recalled Northeast Seafood Products

Outbreak Investigation of Salmonella Thompson – Seafood - Map of U.S. Distribution of Recalled Products (October 8, 2021)

Case Count Map Provided by CDC

Outbreak Investigation of Salmonella Thompson – Seafood - CDC Case Count Map (December 6, 2021)

Case Counts

Total Illnesses: 115
Hospitalizations: 20
Deaths: 0
Last Illness Onset: September 7, 2021
States with Cases: AZ (1), CA (1), CO (93), CT (1), IA (1), MN (2), MO (1), NE (2), NJ (2), PA (1), TX (2), VA (3), WA (1), WI (2), WY (2)
Product Distribution*: CO
*States with confirmed distribution; product could have been distributed further

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EU – Multiple EU countries part of Salmonella outbreak

Posted on December 6, 2021 by | Leave a comment

Food Safety News

At least four European countries have been affected by a Salmonella outbreak with investigators as yet unable to determine the source.

Thirteen people have fallen ill in Iceland, eight in Denmark, one in Sweden and an unknown number of people were also ill in the Netherlands and Belgium. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) was informed about the outbreak by national authorities.

In September in Iceland, there was an increase in reports of Salmonella infections. Further investigations found they were the same type of Salmonella typhimurium. Samples were sent to Statens Serum Institute (SSI) in Denmark for sequencing.

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Norway – Imported frozen raspberries probable source of Hepatitis A outbreak

Posted on December 6, 2021 by | Leave a comment

Outbreak News Today

The source of infection for the national outbreak of hepatitis A was probably imported, frozen raspberries. This is shown by the investigation that the Norwegian Food Safety Authority and the Norwegian Institute of Public Health have carried out in connection with the outbreak, which is now considered over.

The outbreak of hepatitis A lasted from April to October this year and involved 20 infected people.

Tracing of the source shows that the raspberries are probably no longer on the market. The outbreak is therefore considered over, says senior adviser Heidi Lange at the National Institute of Public Health (NIPH).

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USA – Outbreak Investigation of E. Coli O157:H7 – Spinach (November 2021)

Posted on December 6, 2021 by | Leave a comment

FDA

Outbreak Investigation of E. Coli O157:H7 in Spinach (November 2021): Sample Image of Josie's Organics Baby Spinach

The FDA and CDC, in collaboration with state and local partners, are investigating illnesses in a multistate outbreak of E. coli O157:H7. According to the CDC, as of November 15, 2021, 14 people infected with the outbreak strain of E. coli O157:H7 have been reported from nine states. Illnesses started on dates ranging from October 13 to October 27, 2021. 10 people in this outbreak report eating spinach in the week before becoming sick and six people reported Josie’s Organics brand.

On November 15, 2021, the Minnesota Department of Agriculture reported that, as part of this outbreak investigation, a sample of Josie’s Organics Baby Spinach collected from the home of an ill person tested positive for E. coli O157:H7. This sample had a “Best If Used By” date of October 23, 2021. Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) analysis determined that the strain of E. coli O157:H7 present in the product sample matches the outbreak strain.

FDA traced the supply chain for this positive product sample back to a small number of farms in two different geographic regions and deployed Investigators along the supply chains of interest. FDA continues tracing back reported spinach exposures to identify if spinach from additional farms could have been implicated.

FDA and state partners are working with the firm to determine if additional products could be affected. This is an ongoing investigation and additional information will be provided as it becomes available.

Recommendation

Consumers, restaurants, and retailers, should not eat, sell, or serve Josie’s Organics Baby Spinach with a “Best If Used By” date of October 23, 2021. Josie’s Organics Baby Spinach is sold in a clear plastic clamshell with the Best If Used By Date on the top label.

Although this product is past expiration and should no longer be available for purchase, consumers should check their homes for product and discard it. If consumers froze fresh Josie’s Organics Baby Spinach, they should discard it.

Case Count Map Provided by CDC

Outbreak Investigation of E. Coli O157:H7 in Spinach: Case Count Map Provided by CDC (December 3, 2021)

Case Counts

Total Illnesses: 14
Hospitalizations: 4
Deaths: 0
Last Illness Onset: October 27, 2021
States with Cases: IA (1), IN (4), MI (1), MN (2), MO (1), NE (1), OH (1), PA (1), SD (1)

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

Research -A Severe Gastroenteritis Outbreak of Salmonella enterica Serovar Enteritidis Linked to Contaminated Egg Fried Rice, China, 2021

Posted on December 2, 2021 by | Leave a comment

Frontiers in Microbiology

Salmonella contamination of eggs and egg shells has been identified as a public health problem worldwide. Here, we reported an outbreak of severe gastrointestinal symptoms caused by Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis (S. enteritidis) in China. We evaluated the outbreak by using epidemiological surveys, routine laboratory testing methods, and whole genome sequencing (WGS). This outbreak occurred in a canteen in Beijing, during March 9–11, 2021, 225 of the 324 diners who have eaten at the canteen showed gastrointestinal symptoms. The outbreak had characteristical epidemiological and clinical features. It caused a very high attack rate (69.4%) in a short incubation time. All patients developed diarrhea and high fever, accompanied by abdominal pain (62.3%), nausea (50.4%), and vomiting (62.7%). The average frequency of diarrhea was 12.4 times/day, and the highest frequency of diarrhea was as high as 50 times/day. The average fever temperature was 39.4°C, and the highest fever temperature was 42°C. Twenty strains of S. enteritidis were recovered, including 19 from the patients samples, and one from remained egg fried rice. Antibiotic susceptibility test showed that the 20 outbreak strains all had the same resistance pattern. PFGE results demonstrated that all 20 strains bore completely identical bands. Phylogenetic analysis based on WGS revealed that all 20 outbreak strains were tightly clustered together. So the pathogenic source of this food poisoning incident may was contaminated egg fried rice. Resistance gene analysis showed that the outbreak strains are all multi-drug resistant strains. Virulence gene analysis indicated that these outbreak strains carried a large number of virulence genes, including 2 types of Salmonella pathogenicity islands (SPI-1 and SPI-2). Other important virulence genes were also carried by the outbreak strains, such as pefABCD, rck and shdA. And the shdA gene was not in other strains located in the same evolutionary branch as the outbreak strain. We speculated that this is a significant reason for the serious symptoms of gastroenteritis in this outbreak. This outbreak caused by S. enteritidis suggested government should strengthen monitoring of the prevalence of outbreak clone strains, and take measures to mitigate the public health threat posed by contaminated eggs.

Introduction

World Health Organization (WHO) estimated the global burden of foodborne diseases, the results showed that almost 1 in 10 people fall ill every year from eating contaminated food and 420,000 die as a result (Dewey-Mattia et al., 2018). Salmonellosis is one of the most frequently reported foodborne diseases worldwide. In particular, disease caused by non-typhoid Salmonella is a global public health problem, whether in a high-income country or a low-income country (Feasey et al., 2016). Each year, approximately 40,000 Salmonella infections are reported to the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCs) (Vaughn et al., 2020). Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis (S. enteritidis) is the predominant Salmonella serotype accounting for between 40 and 60% of laboratory-confirmed illnesses of salmonellosis in recent years (Quick et al., 2015). Salmonella enteritidis typically cause a self-limiting gastroenteritis with the symptoms of diarrhea, fever, abdominal cramps, and dehydration (Jiang et al., 2020). Salmonellosis is mainly caused by eating eggs and egg products contaminated with S. enteritidis (90%) and has become a serious health problem. It has been attributed to this serovar’s unusual ability to colonize ovarian tissue of hens and to be able to present within the contents of intact shell eggs (Chousalkar et al., 2018).

Here we reported a severe gastroenteritis outbreak of S. enteritidis linked to contaminated egg fried rice. There were 225 cases of diarrhea and fever in a short period of time in a canteen in Beijing within 3 days. Epidemiological investigations and laboratory tests confirmed that the outbreak was caused by S. enteritidis and was related to the undercooked egg fried rice. At present, such a large-scale outbreak with severe clinical symptoms of S. enteritidis caused by undercooked eggs is rarely reported (Li et al., 2020). Therefore, we reported the outbreak and examined its molecular characteristics using whole genome sequencing (WGS).

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India – 4 more norovirus cases in Thrissur

Posted on December 1, 2021 by | Leave a comment

The Hindu

Norovirus Food Safety kswfoodworld

Four more cases of norovirus were reported from a college in Thrissur on Tuesday. The infection was reported in four day scholars of the college.

Though 57 cases have been reported from the college earlier, they were in college hostels. The Health Department has asked the college authorities to make the classes online.

According to preliminary investigation, the infection spread from the drinking water distributed in the hostel.

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India – Suspected Norovirus infection for 52 students in St. Mary’s College, Thrissur

Posted on November 29, 2021 by | Leave a comment

The Hindu

Norovirus infection has been suspected for 52 students in the hostel of St. Mary’s College, Thrissur. Health officials suspect that the infection must have spread through the food or drinking water distributed in the hostel.

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