Category Archives: foodbourne outbreak

USA – FDA won’t say what brand of Pico de Gallo was source of Salmonella in outbreak

Food Safety News

The FDA is reporting that Pico de Gallo was behind a Salmonella outbreak that sickened almost 40 people.

Although investigators identified the cause of the outbreak, the Food and Drug Administration is not reporting what brand of Pico de Gallo was implicated. The agency reported that 37 people were sickened in the outbreak, but did not report where they live. The FDA first reported the outbreak on June 14.

“For the outbreak of Salmonella Paratyphi B var. L(+) tartrate+ the outbreak has ended and FDA’s investigation has closed. CDC, FDA, and state and local partners conducted epidemiologic and traceback investigations and identified Pico de Gallo as the source of the outbreak,” according to an FDA report released Wednesday.

The FDA reported that its investigators took samples of the product as well as environmental samples of the production facility, but all of the samples came back negative for the outbreak strain. The agency’s statement says there is no risk to consumers.

Norway has two sick in Spanish botulism outbreak

Food Safety News

kswfoodworld

Norway has reported two cases that are part of a botulism outbreak in Spain, bringing the number of people affected to 11.

There is a link between patients and different packaged brands of Spanish omelet (tortilla de patata), which is made with potatoes and eggs, purchased in various supermarkets in different regions.

The Norwegian cases stayed in Barcelona between July 10 and 23.

Denmark – Outbreak with Salmonella Enteritidis sequence type 11 in Denmark

SSI

Since May 2023, the Statens Serum Institut has registered 20 cases of the same type of Salmonella Enteritidis. The Statens Serum Institut, the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration and the Norwegian Food Institute DTU are investigating the disease outbreak. The outbreak is part of an international outbreak and imported chicken kebabs are suspected.

USA – Outbreak Investigation of Listeria: Ice Cream (August 2023)

FDA

Product 

  • Real Kosher Ice Cream has voluntarily recalled all flavors of Soft Serve On The Go 8-oz ice cream cups 
    • Soft Serve On The Go Vanilla Chocolate
    • Soft Serve On The Go Razzle
    • Soft Serve On The Go Caramel
    • Soft Serve On The Go Parve Vanilla Chocolate
    • Soft Serve On The Go Sorbet Strawberry Mango
    • Soft Serve On The Go Lite Peanut Butter

FDA’s investigation is ongoing. Products may be added to this advisory. Additional recall information is available below.

Stores Affected

  • Multiple retailers in CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, IL, MA, MD, MI, MN, NC, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OR, PA, VA, WV.

Symptoms of Listeriosis (Listeria Infection)

Illness can occur within a few hours or as long as two to three days after eating contaminated food. More severe forms of listeriosis may take anywhere from three days to three months to develop. Mild symptoms may include a fever, muscle aches, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. If the more severe form of listeriosis develops, symptoms may include headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, and convulsions.

Status

Ongoing

Recommendation

  • Consumers, restaurants, and retailers should not eat, sell, or serve recalled Soft Serve On The Go ice cream and should throw the recalled product away or return it to the place of purchase for a full refund. This recall includes all flavors of Soft Serve On The Go 8-oz cups.
  • Ice cream has a long shelf life and may still be in freezers. Consumers, restaurants, and retailers should check their freezers and throw away recalled ice cream products or return it to the place of purchase for a full refund.
  • Consumers, restaurants, and retailers who purchased or received any recalled ice cream products should follow FDA’s safe handling and cleaning advice and use extra vigilance in cleaning and sanitizing any surfaces and containers that may have come in contact with these products to reduce the risk of cross-contamination. Listeria can survive temperatures at or below freezing and can easily spread to other foods and surfaces.

Recommendation for At-Risk Groups:

  • Listeria is most likely to sicken pregnant people and newborns, adults aged 65 or older, and people with weakened immune systems. Other people can be infected with Listeria, but they rarely become seriously ill.
  • Pregnant people typically experience only fever, fatigue, and muscle aches. However, Listeria infection during pregnancy can lead to miscarriage, stillbirth, premature delivery, or life-threatening infection of the newborn.
  • Call your healthcare provider right away if you have symptoms of a Listeria infection.

Current Update

August 22, 2023

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in collaboration with state and local partners, are investigating an outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes infections linked to Soft Serve On The Go cups produced by Real Kosher Ice Cream of Brooklyn, NY.

The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture collected an unopened sample of Soft Serve On The Go from an ill person’s home. This sample was reported as positive for Listeria monocytogenes. Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) analysis confirmed that the strain of Listeria found in the sample from the patient’s home matches the strain of Listeria causing illnesses in this outbreak.

Additionally, product sampling was conducted by the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets at Real Kosher Ice Cream’s manufacturing location. Five finished product samples of Soft Serve On The Go Vanilla Chocolate ice cream were reported as positive for Listeria monocytogenes. WGS analysis confirmed that the strain of Listeria found in these products matches the outbreak strain.

FDA’s investigation is ongoing. Updates to this advisory will be provided as they become available.

Austria records increase in outbreaks for 2022

Food Safety News

According to recently released data, the number of outbreaks and people sick in them increased in Austria in 2022.

28 foodborne outbreaks were reported in 2022, eight more than in 2021. In these outbreaks, 128 people were affected, which is more than the 92 cases in 2021.

Overall, 57 people had to be hospitalized in connection with incidents in 2022, and there were four deaths. They affected between two and 30 people.

Finland – Large outbreak linked to school meals in Finland; hundreds sickened

Food Safety News

More than 600 people have fallen ill in a suspected food poisoning outbreak at several schools in a Finnish city.

This past week, officials from the city of Mikkeli sent a questionnaire to parents of students and staff about symptoms that occurred during or after school meals on Aug. 16. As of Monday morning, answers had been received from nearly 3,800 parents and 350 employees.

All schools in Mikkeli have had at least a few patients. The incident is being investigated with the Finnish Food Authority (Ruokavirasto) and National Institute of Health and Welfare (THL).

Samples taken from different foods and raw materials are being examined to find out the cause of the epidemic. Results of laboratory tests are expected later this week.

UK – Urgent health warning as Brits returning from holiday with grim parasite amid outbreak – Cyclopsora

 

 

The Mirror

Cyclospora_LifeCycle201

Holidaymakers returning to the UK from Mexican all-inclusive resorts have been hit by a severe gastro-parasite infection, as the government warns of a large outbreak.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is investigating the cluster of Cyclospora infections in the United Kingdom among people who visited Mexico between May and August. Between May 12 and August 14, 74 cases of Cyclospora cayetanensis — a nasty gastric illness caused by a parasite only endemic in certain countries — were reported in England, Wales, and Scotland.

UK -FSA assesses the use of Listeria guidance after the outbreak

Food Safety News

Most hospitals and social care sites are aware of Listeria guidance from the Food Standards Agency (FSA) but an analysis has found several challenges around implementation.

In a 2019 outbreak associated with pre-packed sandwiches supplied to hospitals in England, seven patients died of listeriosis.

Following this incident, the FSA said it would review its 2016 listeriosis guidance. The research was commissioned to look at awareness, implementation, and perceived effectiveness of the guidance, including barriers to implementing it in full.

The recent report covers findings from 39 respondents within National Health Service (NHS) Trusts and 445 from Health and Social Care (non-NHS Trust) settings, such as nursing homes, home care service providers and hospices, in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland.

An online survey was sent to all NHS Trusts in the three nations between November and December 2021. In the majority of cases, the survey was completed by the catering manager, who was responsible for food safety. IFF Research carried out the survey of non-NHS settings by telephone. Fieldwork took place in August and September 2022. IFF Research interviewed the person with overall responsibility for food safety — this was often the general manager.

Spain sees E. coli and Listeria infections rise in 2022

Food Safety News

Spain recorded an increase in E. coli and Listeria infections in 2022, according to recently released figures.

In 2022, 633 Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) infections were reported, as well as eight imported cases. This includes 620 confirmed and 13 probable cases. The number rose from 426 cases in 2021.

The highest incidences in 2022 were observed in children younger than 5 years of age, being higher in girls than in boys, according to data from the National Epidemiological Surveillance Network (RENAVE).

A total of 134 hospitalizations were reported and six people developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). HUS is a severe complication associated with E. coli infections that causes kidney failure. Four of these were younger than the age of 3, one was 10 years old, and the other was an 84-year-old adult.

Three deaths were recorded: one child younger than 3 years old who had HUS, and two adults aged 65 and 93.

For imported cases, two were younger than 10 years of age, and the rest were aged between 22 and 60.

Information on serogroup causing infection was available in 80 cases of which 67 corresponded to O157. One was O107, another was O128 and 11 were recorded as non-O157.

USA – Tacoma restaurant’s milkshakes linked to listeria outbreak that killed 3

Komo News

Listeria bacteria found in the milkshakes at a Tacoma restaurant have been linked by health officials to an outbreak that hospitalized six people and killed three.

According to the Washington State Department of Health (DOH), investigators found foodborne listeriosis in the ice cream machines at Frugals, located at 10727 Pacific Avenue South. The machines were not cleaned correctly, and no other Frugals restaurant are believed to be affected, the DOH said.

The Tacoma Frugals stopped using its ice cream machines on Aug. 8, but listeria can affect people up to 70 days later, the DOH said.

Genetic fingerprinting of bacteria in the shakes showed the same strain of listeria that hospitalized six people — five from Pierce County and one from Thurston County — between Feb. 27 and July 22, according to the DOH. All six had conditions that made their immune systems “less able to fight the disease,” the DOH said. Three of the six died, the DOH added, and two people who were hospitalized but survived said they ate the milkshakes before getting sick.