SINGAPORE – Three children from a pre-school in Newton were hospitalised following an outbreak of salmonella and stomach flu among its charges aged between 18 months and six years old.
One of them was discharged on Tuesday (Dec 8), said the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) in a statement later in the day.
Its spokesman also said it is working with the Health Ministry on the case at Kiddiwinkie Schoolhouse @ Newton.
Image CDC
Final Update
This notice has been updated to reflect that the outbreak appears to be over and the investigation is winding down.
Why you should take note
The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) collaborated with provincial and territorial public health and food safety partners to investigate an outbreak of Vibrio parahaemolyticus infections that occurred in four provinces. The outbreak appears to be over and the investigation is winding down.
Investigation findings identified exposure to shellfish as a likely source of the outbreak. The majority of the individuals who became sick reported eating shellfish, mainly raw oysters, harvested from Atlantic Canadian coastal waters, before their illnesses occurred.
Although the outbreak appears to be over, this event is a reminder that you can get sick from eating raw or undercooked shellfish, especially oysters. To prevent the risk of illness, shellfish should be cooked thoroughly to a safe internal temperature of 74°C (165°F) before eating or serving it.
This notice contains more advice on how to avoid getting sick.
What is Vibrio
Vibrio is a naturally-occurring bacterium that can be present at high levels in coastal waters during periods of increased water temperatures. Most people come in contact with Vibrio by eating raw or undercooked shellfish, especially oysters.
Investigation summary
In total, 23 confirmed cases of Vibrio parahaemolyticus illness were reported in the following provinces: Saskatchewan (1), Quebec (7), New Brunswick (10), and Prince Edward Island (5). Individuals became sick between early July and late October 2020. One individual was hospitalized. No deaths were reported. Individuals who became ill were between 11 and 92 years of age. The majority of illnesses (61%) were male.
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Three European countries have recorded Listeria infections with fish being investigated as the source.
Germany has reported 30 infections and, since November, two people in Austria and one person in Denmark has contracted the same strain of listeriosis.
In Germany, patients were notified and transmitted to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) from the end of September to mid-November. They are 38 to 93 years old and 26 people were hospitalized. One person died but a detailed cause of death was not reported.
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To establish the agent responsible for a gastroenteritis outbreak in a hotel in Menorca (Spain) in September 2016.
The study included epidemiological and laboratory analysis. Environmental and stool samples were examined for bacterial and viral pathogens.
One hundred and fifty-one cases were detected, 123 among the tourists staying in the hotel and 28 affecting the staff. The presence of genotype 2 norovirus was discovered in the microbiological studies of patient’s faeces, as well as in the surface samples of rooms and common areas. The control plan implemented allowed for control of the outbreak.
This study on a genotype 2 norovirus outbreak reveals the importance of a rapid response for controlling these types of outbreaks.
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Irish public health officials have reported three Salmonella outbreaks that have affected at least 34 people.
Two of the three outbreaks were caused by Salmonella Enteritidis and one by Salmonella Mikawasima. Two of the incidents remain unsolved while the third has been linked to chicken products.
Twenty three of the infections have been laboratory confirmed, according to the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC), Ireland’s agency for surveillance of communicable diseases and part of the Health Service Executive (HSE).
Six people were sickened in the first Salmonella Enteritidis outbreak. Four women and two men had illness onset dates ranging from early June to Oct. 21. Two patients were aged 1 to 2 years old, one was 15-19 years old and three were over the age of 25.
HSE officials told Food Safety News that an investigation has not identified any potential method of transmission including foodborne or source including food.
Posted in Bacteria, bacterial contamination, food bourne outbreak, food contamination, food handler, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Pathogen, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, outbreak, Salmonella
Mainly children are sick in a Salmonella outbreak in France linked to a type of dried sausage.
There have been 26 cases of salmonellosis, 17 of which concern children, identified by the National Reference Center for Salmonella at Institut Pasteur and Santé publique France in October and November. Those interviewed fell ill from Sept. 22 and ate dry sausages bought in the same store.
The link between Salmonella Bovismorbificans illness and consumption of dry cold meats manufactured by France Salaison was confirmed earlier this month by the Directorate General for Food (DGAL), the Directorate General for Health and Santé publique France. The company is based in Saint-Symphorien-sur-Coise in the Rhone region of France.
Potentially contaminated product has also been sent to Belgium, Luxembourg, Poland, Portugal and Slovenia.
Posted in Bacteria, bacterial contamination, food bourne outbreak, food contamination, 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, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, outbreak, Salmonella
An ongoing outbreak of multidrug-resistant Salmonella enterica serovar Anatum began in Taiwan in 2015. Pork and poultry were identified as vehicles for transmission. Contaminated meat contributed to the high rate of infections among children. Nearly identical Salmonella Anatum strains have been identified in the United Kingdom, the United States, and the Philippines.
Nontyphoidal Salmonella (NTS) is a major cause for foodborne diseases worldwide. In Taiwan, the ambient climate and flourishing pig-raising industry makes NTS infections rampant. As in other countries, salmonellosis was primarily caused by Salmonella enterica serovars Enteritidis and Typhimurium in Taiwan (1), but rare serovars such as Salmonella Goldcoast have appeared in recent years (2). Recommended antimicrobial treatment options for salmonellosis include fluoroquinolones and extended-spectrum cephalosporins (1). However, resistance to these antibiotics has been emerging in many countries, leading to increased disease prevalence, disease severity, and death and the requirement of last-line antimicrobial drugs (e.g., carbapenems) (3–5).
Since 2015, northern Taiwan has seen an increase in Salmonella infections, caused by previously rare Salmonella Anatum. The infections were also reported in central Taiwan, indicating that this outbreak had already prevailed throughout the entire island (6). Co-resistance to ceftriaxone and ciprofloxacin are the main feature of the outbreak clone. Evidence from epidemiologic, laboratory, and supply-chain investigations identified raw pork and poultry as the vehicle for spread of this strain. More important, genomic comparisons against the global public database indicated that this clone has appeared in Europe, Asia, and America. Given the increasing globalization of foodstuffs, these findings prompt an urgent global sharing of whole-genome sequencing (WGS) data to facilitate disease surveillance and early recognition of international foodborne outbreaks (7,8).
The link above has a list of outbreaks investigations being managed by FDA’s CORE Response Teams. The investigations are in a variety of stages, meaning that some outbreaks have limited information, and others may be near completion.
A public health advisory will be issued for outbreak investigations that have resulted in specific, actionable steps for consumers to take to protect themselves. Please direct your attention to those pages for the most up to date information on the investigation and for consumer protection information.
Note: Not all recalls and alerts result in an outbreak of foodborne illness. Check recent Food Recalls and Safety Alerts.
Outbreak investigations that do not result in specific, actionable steps for consumers may or may not conclusively identify a source or reveal any contributing factors. If a source and/or contributing factors are identified that could inform future prevention, FDA commits to providing a summary of those findings.
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The parasite, Cyclospora, continues to provide illness and intrigue.
Florida-based Southeastern Grocers has issued a voluntary recall for its “SE Grocers Naturally Better Organic Fresh Cut Basil” following the detection of Cyclospora.
The company says the product was delivered through all of its distribution centers and sold in all its stores, including Winn-Dixie, BI-LO, Fresco y Más and Harveys Supermarkets. The basil comes in a 0.5-ounce container with UPC code 6-07880-20230-4.
The latest recall follows a summer outbreak of Cyclospora in the U.S. linked to Fresh Express and private label brand salad products produced at its Streamwood, IL facility that contain iceberg lettuce, red cabbage, and/or carrots.
690 people with laboratory-confirmed Cyclospora infections and who reported eating bagged salad mix before getting sick weren reported from 13 states (Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, and Wisconsin).
Illnesses started on dates ranging from May 11, 2020 to July 20, 2020.
37 people were hospitalized. No deaths were reported.
Posted in Cyclospora, Cyclosporiasis, food bourne outbreak, food contamination, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Pathogen, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, outbreak, Parasite
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