Category Archives: Hepatitis A

RASFF Alert – Hepatitis A – Dried Tomato’s

Posted on January 15, 2021 by | Leave a comment

European Food Alerts

RASFF

hepatitis A virus (presence /25g) in dried tomatoes from Turkey in Greece

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Posted in food contamination, Food Hazard, Food Hygiene, 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 Virus, Hepatitis A, microbial contamination, Microbiology, RASFF, Virus

Norway – Infectious substances in lettuce and herbs 2017-2019

Posted on December 10, 2020 by | Leave a comment

Mattilsynet

Lettuce and herbs on the Norwegian market mainly have good hygienic quality, the Norwegian Food Safety Authority’s monitoring program shows. However, the samples analysed make up a small proportion of the total amount of lettuce and herbs sold.

What did we investigate? Imported and Norwegian-produced salad and fresh imported herbs

A total of 580 samples – 426 of lettuce and 154 of herbs
Period: 2017 -2019
What were we looking for? E. coli, Salmonella, Cryptosporidium , hepatitis A virus and norovirus.

Not all analyses were performed on all samples.
What did we find? In the 575 samples analysed for E. coli , was detected E. coli in low numbers (<100 cfu / g) in 57 samples and E. coli ≥100 cfu / g in 36 samples. 13 samples contained such high values ​​of E. coli that the products were withdrawn from the market. 10 of these were imported herbs from Southeast Asia.

Salmonella, Cryptosporidium , hepatitis A virus or norovirus were not detected in any of the samples analysed for these infectious agents.

Findings of high values ​​of E. coli in lettuce and herbs indicate a fresh faecal contamination, which may indicate that the product may also be contaminated with pathogenic bacteria, viruses and parasites. Herbs from Southeast Asia are a known risk product for Salmonella . The Norwegian Food Safety Authority recommends that such herbs be heat-treated before they are eaten.
Who performed the assignment? The bacterial analyses were performed at the Veterinary Institute and the parasite and virus analyses at NMBU Veterinary College.

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Posted in Bacteria, bacterial contamination, Cryptosporidium, E.coli, Food Microbiology Research, Hepatitis A, Norovirus, Research, Salmonella

Germany – Bakery link investigated in hepatitis A outbreak in Germany

Posted on November 18, 2020 by | Leave a comment

Food Safety News

More than 20 people have been infected with hepatitis A in an outbreak in a German municipality.

There have been 23 infections in the community of Dummerstorf in the Rostock district of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Three more test results are pending. Officials believe the virus has been spread through food.

Of those affected, 21 live in and around the municipality and two in neighboring districts. Four people have needed hospital treatment. More than 100 potential contacts have been identified and contacted by the health department.

Bakery staff link
Investigations by the health department and food control authorities are concentrated on the employees of a bakery branch in the region that officials did not name but have temporarily closed.

Samples of drinking water have been taken and ruled out as a pathway of infection. Vaccinations are being offered.

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Posted in 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 recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Virus, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Hepatitis A, outbreak, Virus

USA – Potential Hepatitis A Exposure at Trading Post in Yates County, NY

Posted on November 16, 2020 by | Leave a comment

Food Poisoning Bulletin

A potential Hepatitis A exposure at the Trading Post Restaurant in Yates County, New York may have exposed patrons to the virus, according to the Yates County Health Department. The notice did not definitively state what the risk was, although it’s usually an employee who worked while infectious.

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Posted in 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, Food Testing, Food Virus, Hepatitis A, Virus

USA – Bangor Texas Roadhouse linked to Hepatitis A scare

Posted on November 4, 2020 by | Leave a comment

Food Poison Journal

The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Maine CDC) has identified a case of acute hepatitis A virus infection in a Bangor, Maine, food service worker. The case handled food while infectious on October 16-18, 20, 22-25, 27 and 29.

Epidemiological assessment of the employee’s illness determined that restaurant patrons may be at risk for hepatitis A infection. Maine CDC is recommending that anyone who may have eaten food prepared at or who worked at the Texas Roadhouse in Bangor on the dates listed above between October 20th through October 29th receive hepatitis A vaccine within 14 days of their last exposure as there is a 14-day window during which prophylaxis is effective.

This recommendation includes anyone who may have had dine-in, take-out, delivery, or curbside pickup of food from the restaurant. Anyone who visited the restaurant from October 16th through October 19th, 2020, is outside the window for which prophylaxis is recommended, but is advised to watch for symptoms and seek medical attention should they develop symptoms.

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Posted in food handler, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Food Virus, Foodborne Illness, Hepatitis A, Virus, Virus Vaccination

Denmark and Sweden – Imported frozen berries suspected in hepatitis A outbreak

Posted on October 12, 2020 by | Leave a comment

Food Safety News

Officials in Sweden and Denmark are investigating a hepatitis A outbreak with frozen imported berries suspected to be the source of infection.

Since mid-July, nine patients with the same type of hepatitis A virus have been reported from five different regions in Sweden. The latest patient fell ill on Sept. 18.

Six women and three men from Norrbotten, Västra Götaland, Stockholm, Uppsala and Södermanland are infected with the liver virus. Patients range from 2 to 78 years old. Also, a couple of people are ill in Denmark.

Frozen berries named as potential source
Interviews have found some people ate frozen imported berries, especially raspberries, which were not heated before consumption. However, analysis of sampled berries has not been able to detect the hepatitis A virus.

Local infection control units, Swedish Food Agency (Livsmedelsverket), and Public Health Agency of Sweden (Folkhälsomyndigheten) are investigating to confirm the source of the infections.

Two Danish cases have been linked to the Swedish outbreak and a cross-border investigation has been initiated.

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Posted in food bourne outbreak, food contamination, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Pathogen, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Food Virus, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Hepatitis A, Virus

Research – Resurgence of an international hepatitis A outbreak linked to imported frozen strawberries, Germany, 2018 to 2020

Posted on September 19, 2020 by | Leave a comment

Eurosurveillance

Hepatitis A kswfoodworld

Following outbreaks linked to frozen strawberries in Sweden and Austria in 2018, 65 cases linked to the same hepatitis A virus strain were detected in Germany between October 2018 and January 2020, presenting in two waves. Two case–control studies and a comparison of cases’ consumption frequencies with purchase data from a large consumer panel provided strong evidence for frozen strawberry cake as the main vehicle of transmission. Of 46 cases interviewed, 27 reported consuming frozen strawberry cake and 25 of these identified cake(s) from brand A spontaneously or in product picture-assisted recall. Trace back investigations revealed that the Polish producer involved in the previous outbreaks in Sweden and Austria had received frozen strawberries from Egypt via a wholesaler that also delivered frozen strawberries to manufacturer of brand A. Phylogenetic analyses linked the outbreak strain to similar strains formerly isolated from sewage, stool and strawberries in Egypt. Complete trace back and timely recall of products with strong evidence of contamination is important to control an outbreak and prevent later resurgence, particularly for food items with a long shelf life. Continued molecular surveillance of hepatitis A is needed to identify outbreaks and monitor the success of food safety interventions.

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Posted in food bourne outbreak, food contamination, food handler, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Pathogen, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Food Virus, Hepatitis A, Virus

RASFF Alerts – Hepatitis A – Live Mussels – Dried Tomatoes

Posted on September 4, 2020 by | Leave a comment

European Food Alerts

RASFF

hepatitis A virus (presence /2g) in live mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) from Italy in Italy

RASFF

hepatitis A virus (presence /25g) in dried tomatoes from Turkey in Greece

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Posted in food contamination, Food Hygiene, 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 Virus, Hepatitis A, RASFF

Denmark – Outbreak of Hepatitis A in Denmark

Posted on September 3, 2020 by | Leave a comment

SSI

The Statens Serum Institut is investigating an outbreak of contagious hepatitis caused by infections with the hepatitis A virus. The source of the infection is still unknown.

Last edited on 25 August 2020
The outbreak includes 14 patients, 8 women and 6 men aged 17-63 years. The patients have become ill from April to July 2020. The patients live all over the country and 11 have been hospitalized. Viruses from patients have been typed to genotype 1B.Graph with number of cases of hepatitis A

Region Number of patients
 The capital  3
 Zealand  5
 Southern Denmark  0
 Central Jutland 3
 North Jutland  3
 Total  14

Tracking the source

To investigate the source of the outbreak, the Statens Serum Institut interviews the patients in relation to uncovering how they have become ill. The initial interviews have shown that the patients have not been out traveling, do not know each other and that they had not participated in joint events. It therefore suggests that the source of infection is a common food that has been sold throughout the country. The outbreak is being investigated in collaboration with the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration and the DTU Food Institute.

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Posted in food bourne outbreak, food contamination, food handler, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Pathogen, Food Safety, Food Testing, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Hepatitis A, microbial contamination, Microbiology, Virus

China – Hepatitis A increase in Chinese province linked to seafood

Posted on July 29, 2020 by | Leave a comment

Food Safety News

An increase in hepatitis A infections in a Chinese province earlier this year has been attributed to eating raw or undercooked seafood.

In February 2020, there was a 138 percent increase in hepatitis A infections reported to the National Notifiable Disease Report System (NNDRS) from Liaoning Province compared with February 2019, and more than three quarters of cases in Liaoning were from two coastal cities — Dalian and Dandong. These cities are on the Liaodong Peninsula where seafood is abundant. From November to April, many types of fresh seafood are sold and consumed by residents, and most eat raw seafood.

All cases were sporadic. Through a survey of affected people and a case-control study, researchers found that consuming raw or undercooked seafood, clams, snapping shrimp, and oysters was significantly associated with the increase. Findings were published in China CDC Weekly.

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Posted in food contamination, 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 Virus, Hepatitis A, Uncategorized, Virus