Category Archives: gastroenteritis

Singapore – Suspension of Nosh Cuisine Pte Ltd’s food business operations – Gastroenteritis Investigation

SFA

The Ministry of Health (MOH), the Singapore Food Agency (SFA), and the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) are investigating three incidents of gastroenteritis reported at MindChamps preschools (MindChamps Preschool @ Bishan, MindChampsPreschool@ Changi Airport and MindChampsPreschool@ Tanglin).

As of 12pm, 30 May 2023, a total of 89 persons (79 children and 10 staff) reported gastroenteritis symptoms after consuming food prepared by Nosh Cuisine Pte Ltd between 17 May and 29 May 2023. Six were hospitalised and are in stable condition. The rest had either sought outpatient treatment, self-medicated, or recovered without treatment.

UK -UKHSA issue warning as infections rise in East of England

EDP 24

Families visiting farms and petting zoos this summer are being urged to protect themselves following a rise in infections.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has issued a warning about gastrointestinal infections such as salmonella, cryptosporidium and e.coli.

They can all be passed from farm animals to humans, causing illness.

There have already been 92 cases of cryptosporidium in the east of England so far this year, 14 more than in all of 2022.

So the UKHSA is urging anyone visiting a farm to remember the importance of thoroughly and frequently washing hands to avoid getting the bugs, which can make you seriously ill.

Research – Cruise Ship Illness Cases Surpass 2019 Levels – What It Means

Cruise Hive

Recorded outbreaks of gastrointestinal illnesses have been reported aboard 12 cruises so far in 2023, already surpassing the total number of outbreaks in 2019, the last year of full data available. Does this mean that cruises have become unhealthier or at higher risk for such outbreaks?

12 Outbreaks in Less Than 5 Months

Only five months into 2023, a dozen outbreaks of gastrointestinal illnesses aboard cruise ships have been reported to the Vessel Sanitation Program (VSP) of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Gastro, food poisoning or stomach flu: Everything you need to know

ABC News AU

Whether you’re feeling nauseous, have the runs, or are actively vomiting, there’s nothing pleasant about an upset stomach.

As Nirvana Luckraj, the chief medical officer of Healthdirect Australia explains, gastro is an overarching condition.

Gastroenteritis is a general term that refers to inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract.

“[It] can be caused by a variety of factors including viral or bacterial infections, food poisoning, or it can be a reaction to certain medications, or even dietary changes.”

Her team saw a spike in interest in gastro over the December and January holiday period, but have seen a downward trend since then.

Whatever variant you’re experiencing, this is how to look after yourself and those around you.

What are the symptoms of gastro, food poisoning and the stomach flu?

Symptoms of gastroenteritis can include:

  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
  • Diarrhea
  • Stomach cramps
  • Fever

Dr Luckraj says food poisoning, stomach bugs and other forms of gastro all have similar symptoms, but differ in their causes.

Stomach flu, also known as viral gastroenteritis, is caused by viral infection, and can be spread via contact with an infected person, or by consuming contaminated food or water.

Food poisoning is caused by consuming contaminated food like undercooked meat, contaminated produce, or dairy products. Dr Luckraj says symptoms usually start quickly — even just hours after consumption.

France Research – Acute gastroenteritis: review of the 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 winter seasons

Sante Publique

Every year, an increase in acute gastroenteritis (AGE) is observed caused mainly by the circulation of noroviruses and rotaviruses. Noroviruses are responsible for AGE in people of all ages, while rotaviruses mainly affect children under 5 years of age. 

During the winter season, Public Health France monitors, with its network of partners , the epidemiological evolution of acute gastroenteritis and publishes weekly national and regional epidemiological bulletins on its website . These data are also made available as open data on Géodes .

Santé publique France is today publishing the winter monitoring report covering the 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 seasons in mainland France and recalls the simple actions to take to limit the risk of contamination.

What are the highlights of the last two seasons?

2020-2021: a season marked by a historically low level of activity

The low level of activity observed from March 2020 (end of the 2019-2020 season), in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, continued during the 2020-2021 season. In city medicine or in hospital emergency departments, activity remained relatively stable and lower than the years prior to the COVID-19 pandemic in all metropolitan areas. 

A return to activity comparable to pre-COVID seasons during winter 2021-2022

The activity levels recorded throughout the 2021-2022 season were again comparable to those observed during the pre-COVID seasons. In hospital emergencies, activity for acute gastroenteritis remained close to historical maximums, from December 2021 to April 2022. Consultations at SOS Médecins were similar to the data observed before the COVID-19 pandemic.

England – Norovirus cases increase significantly in England

Gov UK

Food Borne Illness - Norovirus -CDC Photo

National surveillance data shows laboratory reports of the virus are 66% higher than the average at this time of year. The biggest increase in laboratory confirmed norovirus has been seen in the group of those aged 65 years and over. While high numbers of cases in this age group is expected at this time of year, these levels haven’t been seen in over a decade.

In response to the increase in cases, UKHSA is reminding the public of the actions that they can take to reduce the spread of norovirus.

Norovirus is highly infectious and is easily spread through contact with someone with the infection or with contaminated surfaces. One of the best ways to prevent the spread of norovirus is by practising good hand hygiene. Most people will make a full recovery within 2 to 3 days but it is important to drink plenty of fluids to prevent dehydration, especially for the very young, elderly or those with weakened immune systems who are more at risk.

The number of outbreaks caused by norovirus have increased in hospitals, schools and care homes, with the majority of outbreaks reported in care home settings.

Dr Lesley Larkin, Surveillance Lead, Gastrointestinal Infections and Food Safety (One Health) Division at UKHSA, said:

Norovirus levels are currently the highest we have seen at this time of year in over a decade. Most reported cases are in the over 65s and we’re also seeing a rise in reported outbreaks, particularly in care home settings.

Please stay at home if you are experiencing norovirus symptoms and do not return to work (particularly if you work with vulnerable people or food) or send sick children to school or nursery until 48 hours after symptoms have cleared. If you have a loved one in a care home or hospital, please avoid visiting until 48 hours after symptoms have cleared.

Regular hand washing is really important to help stop the spread of this bug, but remember, alcohol gels do not kill off norovirus so soap and warm water is best.

NHS Medical Director, Professor Sir Stephen Powis, said:

The number of people in hospitals with norovirus has risen significantly in line with what we are seeing in the community and in care homes – it is a really unpleasant illness to catch, but for the vast majority of people it will usually pass in a couple of days, and self-treating at home is the best way to help yourself and avoid putting others at risk.

Research – Influence of Hurdle Technology on Foodborne Pathogen Survival in the Human Gastrointestinal Tract

MDPI

Abstract

The application of several sublethal stresses in hurdle technology can exert microbial stress resistance, which, in turn, might enable foodborne pathogens to overcome other types of lethal stresses, such as the gastrointestinal barriers. The present study evaluated the survival of Salmonella Typhimurium and Listeria monocytogenes during simulated digestion, following exposure to combinations of water activity (aw), pH and storage temperature stresses. The results revealed that both pathogens survived their passage through the simulated gastrointestinal tract (GIT) with their previous habituation to certain hurdle combinations inducing stress tolerance. More specifically, the habituation to a low temperature or to a high pH resulted in the increased stress tolerance of Salmonella, while for Listeria, the cells appeared stress tolerant after exposure to a high temperature or to a low pH. Nonetheless, both pathogens expressed increased sensitivity after habituation to growth-limiting hurdle combinations. The survival of stress-tolerant pathogenic cells in the human GIT poses major public health issues, since it can lead to host infection. Consequently, further research is required to obtain a deeper understanding of the adaptive stress responses of foodborne bacteria after exposure to combinations of sublethal hurdles to improve the existing food safety systems.

USA – 130 Las Vegas Elementary School Students ‘Projectile Vomiting’ After Mysterious Illness Outbreak

People

A gastrointestinal illness outbreak at a Las Vegas elementary school left at least 130 students “projectile vomiting”, according to local reports.

Teachers at the Wayne N. Tanaka Elementary School in Nevada asked the ill students to line up outside the school as they repeatedly “projectile vomited” during the incident on Jan. 27, according to 8 News Now.

Officials with the Clark County School District (CCSD) and Southern Nevada Health District (SNHD) have not said what caused the illness but confirmed they are investigating the incident.

A spokesperson for the Southern Nevada Health District (SNHD) told 8 News Now, “During a foodborne illness outbreak, people are interviewed about what they ate before they got sick when possible food contamination is confirmed using epidemiological and laboratory information.

“Gastrointestinal illnesses can have many causes,” the spokesperson added.

USA – Seattle: Officials investigate GI outbreak linked to Tamarind Tree Restaurant

Outbreak News Today

Public health officials announced the investigation of an outbreak of gastrointestinal illness associated with vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, cramps, fevers, and chills at Tamarind Tree Restaurant in Seattle.

According to Public Health – Seattle & King County, 10 people from three separate meal parties have reported a gastrointestinal illness after eating food from the Tamarind Tree Restaurant.

Environmental Health investigators visited the restaurant on January 24, 2023. They observed improper food handling practices, including blocked access to handwashing facilities, improper storage of wiping cloths, risk of cross contamination, and lack of maintenance, cleaning, and sanitizing of food equipment and physical facilities.

USA – Unnamed Pathogen sickens dozens and prompts recall of Galveston Bay Oysters

Food Poison Journal

The Texas Department of State Health Services has ordered a recall of all oysters harvested in the TX 1 area of south eastern Galveston Bay after reports of a few dozen cases of gastrointestinal illness among people who ate oysters from those waters. The recall includes oysters in the shell and shucked oysters harvested in the area from Nov. 17 through Dec. 7.

Consumers who purchased Texas oysters since Nov. 17 should check the packaging to see if they were harvested in TX 1. If the oysters were unpackaged, they should contact the seller to find the source. Restaurants should contact their distributor for information on the source of their oysters. Any oysters from TX 1 should be discarded.