Category Archives: Gastrointestinal Infection

Singapore – Stamford Catering Services Suspended After Gastric Outbreak

Posted on October 16, 2024 by | Leave a comment

Sureboh

Stamford Catering Services came to attention when 51 people got sick with gastroenteritis after eating their food on October 12. As a result, the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) and the Ministry of Health (MOH) initiated probes into the issue. The authorities have made a bold decision to halt the food business activities of Stamford Catering Services from October 14 onwards until further instructions.

According to CNA, the SFA required the company to follow certain measures during the suspension, such as thoroughly cleaning and sanitizing its premises, equipment, and utensils.

Moreover, all employees who handle food at the establishment must successfully finish the Food Safety Course Level 1 and receive a clean test result for foodborne illnesses before returning to their responsibilities. Furthermore, the designated food hygiene officer is required to undergo and complete the Food Safety Course Level 3 to return to their duties.

Stamford Catering Services has experienced food safety incidents before. In 2019, the catering service’s food hygiene rating was lowered to “C” following a food poisoning incident that impacted 52 people. Consecutive inspections conducted by MOH and SFA uncovered concerning results, such as elevated levels of bacteria in food and environmental samples, along with numerous hygiene deficiencies.

The repeated instances of food safety problems at Stamford Catering Services have sparked significant worries about the overall cleanliness and safety measures at the establishment. Therefore, the company is facing more scrutiny as the public waits for updates on the ongoing investigations.

Due to the seriousness of the situation, CNA requested a statement from Stamford Catering Services regarding the suspension. Moreover, people are advised to inform the SFA through online platforms about any cases of inadequate hygiene practices in food establishments

Leave a comment

Posted in food contamination, Food Hazard, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Pathogen, Food Poisoning, Foodborne Illness, gastroenteritis, Gastrointestinal Infection, Illness

Tagged , , , ,

Singapore – Suspension of Stamford Catering Services Pte Ltd food business operations

Posted on October 15, 2024 by | Leave a comment

SFA

The Ministry of Health (MOH) and Singapore Food Agency (SFA) are investigating three incidents of gastroenteritis affecting 51 individuals after consuming food on 12 October 2024 supplied by Stamford Catering Services Pte Ltd. Those affected either sought outpatient treatment or self-medicated. None were hospitalised.

Leave a comment

Posted in Food Illness, Foodborne Illness, gastroenteritis, Gastrointestinal Infection, Illness

Egypt – Hundreds suffer intestinal illnesses due to E. coli outbreak in Egypt’s Aswan

Posted on September 25, 2024 by | Leave a comment

English News

CAIRO, Sept. 23 (Xinhua) — Egyptian Minister of Health and Population Khaled Abdel-Ghaffa reported on Monday that Aswan Governorate, southern Egypt, has seen a surge in intestinal flu cases, with 480 patients having visited local hospitals.

During a press conference, Abdel-Ghaffar noted that while most of these patients have been discharged, 78 are still recovering, and 36 remain in intensive care due to pre-existing chronic conditions.

The minister identified E. coli bacteria as the primary cause of gastroenteritis in the region, attributing the outbreak to the contamination of drinking water with sewage. He indicated that the daily influx of cases at Aswan hospitals has averaged between 18 and 19.

In response to the outbreak, a collaborative task force has been established, involving the Ministry of Housing, the Drinking Water Company, and Aswan Governorate, to investigate the sources of intestinal infections.

Abdel-Ghaffar reassured the public that water quality has been verified as safe across all water stations in Aswan, following thorough testing of water samples.

Leave a comment

Posted in Contaminated water, E.coli, gastroenteritis, Gastrointestinal Infection, Water, water microbiology, Water Safety

Singapore – 165 personnel at SCDF academy fall ill with gastroenteritis; investigations ongoing

Posted on July 26, 2024 by | Leave a comment

Channel News Asia

SINGAPORE: Authorities are investigating cases of gastroenteritis reported at the Civil Defence Academy after more than 160 personnel fell ill between Tuesday (Jul 23) and Wednesday.

As of Wednesday, 165 people were reported to have developed gastroenteritis symptoms, the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) and Ministry of Health (MOH) said on Friday in response to CNA’s query.

Leave a comment

Posted in food contamination, Food Hygiene, Food Poisoning Illness, Food Quality, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, gastroenteritis, Gastrointestinal Infection

Singapore – Abu Mubarak Pte Ltd fined $4,700 for multiple food safety lapses

Posted on July 11, 2024 by | Leave a comment

SFA

Abu Mubarak Pte Ltd was fined $4,700 by the Court today for food safety lapses committed under the Environmental Public Health (Food Hygiene) Regulations.

In April 2023, the Ministry of Health (MOH) and Singapore Food Agency (SFA)
received reports of gastroenteritis involving 12 persons after consuming food provided
by the food establishment located at 300 Tampines Avenue 5 #01-01A, Singapore
529653. Two were hospitalised and subsequently discharged.
3 MOH and SFA conducted a joint investigation at the licensee’s premises and
found multiple food safety lapses. They include cockroach infestation at the food
preparation area and possession of unclean food for sale.
Cockroach infestation found underneath the hand washing sink and chiller motor compartment in the kitchen.

Leave a comment

Posted in Food Safety, Food Safety Management, Food Safety Regulations, gastroenteritis, Gastrointestinal Infection, SFA

Research – Officials find contaminated food played role in Guillain-Barré outbreak

Posted on May 9, 2024 by | Leave a comment

Food Safety News

Consumption of poorly prepared food has been identified as a factor in a fatal Guillain-Barré outbreak in Guatemala.

Findings come from the results of case control studies announced by the Ministry of Public Health and Social Assistance (MSPAS) and the Guatemalan Institute of Social Security (IGSS).

Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) is a rare disorder where the body’s immune system damages nerves. The cause is not fully understood but the syndrome often follows infection with a virus or bacteria. Infection with Campylobacter jejuni, which causes gastroenteritis, including symptoms of nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, is one of the most common risk factors for GBS.

Leave a comment

Posted in Campylobacter, Campylobacter jejuni, gastroenteritis, Gastrointestinal Infection, Guillain-Barré

Singapore – Suspension of Peach Garden Pte Ltd’s food business operations at Upper Thomson

Posted on April 25, 2024 by | Leave a comment

SFA

The Ministry of Health and the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) are investigating eight
incidents of gastroenteritis affecting a total of 43 persons who reported gastroenteritis symptoms after consuming food prepared by Peach Garden Pte Ltd at 301 Upper Thomson Road #01-87/88 Singapore 574408 between 17 and 18 April 2024. Those affected either sought outpatient treatment or self-medicated. Two were hospitalised and are in stable condition.

In view of the suspected ongoing transmission, SFA has suspended the food
business operations of Peach Garden Pte Ltd located at the abovementioned premises effect
from 22 April 2024 until further notice. The licensee is required to clean and sanitise the premises, including equipment and utensils, and dispose all ready-to-eat food and perishable food items.
All food handlers working in the premises are required to re-attend and pass the
Food Safety Course Level 1 and test negative for foodborne pathogens, before they can resume work as food handlers. The appointed Food Hygiene Officer working at the premises must re-attend and pass the Food Safety Course Level 3 before he/she can resume work as a Food Hygiene Officer

Leave a comment

Posted in Food Illness, Foodborne Illness, gastroenteritis, Gastrointestinal Infection, Illness

Research – 19 sailors sick in Ciguatera outbreak

Posted on February 21, 2024 by | Leave a comment

Food Safety News

According to a study, an outbreak of ciguatera poisoning from contaminated fish affected 19 people on a ship in Australia.

The food poisoning outbreak was reported to the Central Queensland Public Health Unit in December 2021.

A bulk carrier sailing from Higashiharima, Japan, to Gladstone, Australia, reported an incident of sudden illness, with 19 of 20 sailors on board having a combination of gastrointestinal and neurological symptoms.

All 20 sailors consumed a self-caught barracuda and squid prepared by the ship’s cook the day before. Leftover samples of the fish and squid were sent for testing. According to the study published in the journal Communicable Diseases Intelligence, the barracuda sample contained ciguatoxins.

Leave a comment

Posted in Algal Toxin, Ciguatera, Ciguatera Poisoning, Dinoflagellates, food bourne outbreak, Food Illness, Foodborne Illness, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, gastroenteritis, Gastrointestinal Infection, Illness, Marine Biotoxin, outbreak

Research – Characteristics of Gastroenteritis Outbreaks Investigated in Singapore: 2018–2021

Posted on February 4, 2024 by | Leave a comment

MDPI

Abstract

There is a need to study the characteristics of outbreaks via Singapore’s outbreak surveillance system to understand and identify the gaps in food safety for targeted policy interventions due to the increasing trend in gastroenteritis outbreaks and consequential increase in foodborne-related deaths and economic burden on public health systems worldwide. A total of 171 gastroenteritis outbreaks were investigated in Singapore from January 2018 to December 2021. This study analyzed the annual trend of investigated gastroenteritis outbreaks, the proportion of outbreaks by implicated sources of food, and the proportion of the type of pathogens identified from human cases, food samples, and environmental swabs collected from outbreak investigations. Among the foodborne gastroenteritis outbreaks (n = 121) investigated in Singapore, approximately 42.1% of the outbreaks had food prepared by caterers, 14.9% by restaurants, and 12.4% had food prepared by in-house kitchens. Clostridium perfringens and Salmonella were the most common causative pathogens in foodborne outbreaks throughout the analysis period. The food samples and environmental swabs collected were mostly detected for Bacillus cereus. Norovirus was the most common causative pathogen in non-foodborne outbreaks and was mainly attributable to preschools. This highlights the importance of monitoring and educating the catering industry and preschools to prevent future outbreaks.

Leave a comment

Posted in Bacillus, Bacillus cereus, Clostridium perfringens, food bourne outbreak, Food Illness, Foodborne Illness, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, gastroenteritis, Gastrointestinal Infection, Illness, Norovirus, outbreak, Salmonella

Research – The antimicrobial effect of eugenol against Campylobacter jejuni on experimental raw chicken breast meat model

Posted on February 3, 2024 by | Leave a comment

Wiley Online

Campylobacter jejuni is the predominant bacterial cause of gastroenteritis, the main cause of foodborne deaths. Currently, Campylobacter is a common foodborne pathogen found in poultry; thus, there is a need for the development of novel intervention strategies. The aim of the study was to examine the effect of eugenol on C. jejuni load in an experimental chicken meat model. We observed that eugenol was effective in reducing C. jejuni load for 7 days of storage. Eugenol treatment at all concentrations (1.28, 5.12, and 10.24 mg mL−1) decreased Campylobacter load more significantly in the reference strain, and this decrease was dose-dependent throughout the storage period. Compared to the control group, eugenol reduced the counts of chicken isolate and the reference strain of C. jejuni by approximately 1.5 and 4.5 log/CFU, respectively, after 7 days of storage. Eugenol is a promising agent for improving the safety of poultry.

Leave a comment

Posted in Campylobacter, campylobacter coli, Campylobacter jejuni, Food Microbiology Research, gastroenteritis, Gastrointestinal Infection, Research