Category Archives: Illness

USA – More than 165 infected with Salmonella in raw milk outbreak

Food Safety News

More than 165 people, mostly children, have been sickened so far by raw milk products from Raw Farm LLC.

In reports obtained by Food Safety News from the California Division of Communicable Disease Control and the California Department of Health, the Salmonella outbreak has sickened 165 people across four states. Previously the department of health was reporting a dozen sick. The most recent of the reports is from February this year. The most recent illness was recorded this past month.

Germany – Botulism affects two in Germany; link to Russian product – Pickled Mushrooms

Food Safety News

A couple of people are sick in Germany with botulism after eating pickled mushrooms from Russia.

The two confirmed cases were caused by botulinum neurotoxin A. They had symptom onset in April and May. Both ill people consumed a mushroom-in-brine preserve of milk-white brittlegill.

A laboratory in Germany, located at the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), found botulinum neurotoxin type A in an unopened jar of the product from the second patient’s household. The 500-gram item was produced on November 20, 2023, and expires on May 20, 2025.

Myanmar – Nearly 60 hospitalized after food poisoning in southern Myanmar

Asia and Pacific

YANGON, July 9 (Xinhua) — Nearly 60 people in Kyauk Yay Twin village, located in Bilin town of Mon state in Myanmar, were hospitalized due to food poisoning, a local administrator said on Tuesday.

The first 13 individuals began experiencing vomiting after consuming chicken biryani and mango pickles at a wedding ceremony on Monday, an official from Bilin town told Xinhua.

USA – CDC Outbreak Over – Outbreak Investigation of E. coli O157:H7: Bulk Organic Walnuts (April 2024)

FDA

Current Update

July 9, 2024

The FDA and CDC, in collaboration with state and local partners,  investigated illnesses in a multistate outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 infections linked to organic walnuts from Gibson Farms, Inc. of Hollister, California that were distributed to multiple natural food and co-op stores in AK, AZ, CA, CO, HI, ID, MT, NM, OR, SD, TX, and WA and sold in bulk bins.

As of July 9, 2024, CDC reports that the outbreak is over. CDC reports a total of 13 cases in two states. There has been a total of seven hospitalizations and zero deaths associated with this incident. The last illness onset was April 4, 2024. FDA’s outbreak investigation is closed.


Case Count Map Provided by CDC

Case Count Map Provided by CDC

Canada – Ontario Warns About Product Recall Due to Listeria Contamination – Illnesses

Ontario

“On July 8, 2024, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) announced a recall that affects certain Silk® and Great Value brand plant-based refrigerated beverages as they may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. Consumers are asked to visit the CFIA’s website for a complete listing of all recalled products and to visit the website regularly as there may be recalls of additional products as the food safety investigation continues.

Ontarians are reminded to check their fridges for the recalled products and if any are found, they should be immediately discarded or returned to the location where they were purchased. Do not consume any recalled products. Contamination with Listeria does not change the smell, taste or appearance of food.

As of July 8, 2024, nine confirmed cases of listeriosis have been reported in Ontario as part of an ongoing investigation that is linked to the recalled products. There have been five hospitalizations associated with this outbreak investigation.

Israel – Outbreak of Campylobacter diarrhoea bacterium: Hundreds of Israelis infected

JPOST

The bacterium usually enters the digestive system through contaminated meat and poultry, causing intestinal inflammation with characteristic symptoms.

The Campylobacter bacterium had been spreading in Israel for several years, but there was a sharp increase in the number of infections over the past year. Data from the Health Ministry, obtained by Maariv, indicated thousands of infections in recent months, a significant increase compared to previous years.

South Korea – Popular Kimchi Dish Blamed For Norovirus Outbreak In South Korea

NDTV

An outbreak of food poisoning linked to norovirus-contaminated kimchi has struck Namwon City, South Korea, sickening over 1,000 people, BBC reported. Local authorities reported nearly 1,000 confirmed cases by Friday, with media outlets estimating the number to be over 1,000 by Saturday afternoon.

The outbreak’s source appears to be contaminated kimchi, a staple fermented cabbage dish commonly served in South Korea. This kimchi was distributed through school meal programs, causing students and staff at 24 schools to experience symptoms like vomiting, diarrhoea, and abdominal cramps.

Norovirus is highly contagious and can spread through contact with contaminated surfaces or infected individuals. Thankfully, most people recover within a few days without requiring hospitalization. However, some cases can become severe.

USA – 2 California sisters in ICU with botulism amid outbreak traced to home-canned Nopales

NBC News

A family party near Fresno, California, resulted in 10 people being treated for botulism, a rare but serious illness caused by bacteria that affects the nervous system, public officials said Friday.

The culprit in the outbreak? Home-canned nopales, or cactus pads.

Two sisters are currently recovering in intensive care, a spokesperson for the Fresno County Department of Public Health told NBC News. One sister underwent a tracheostomy, a procedure to create a breathing tube in the neck, due to respiratory complications caused by the disease.

The eight other hospitalized individuals have been released, and there have been no new reported cases since.

USA – Delta’s ‘spoiled food’ that forced emergency NYC landing was covered in black mold: sources

New York Post

The “spoiled food” that sickened passengers on a Delta Air Lines flight and forced an emergency landing in New York City was covered in black mold, sources told The Post Wednesday.

At least 24 became ill after eating the mold-laden food aboard Amsterdam-bound Flight 136, which touched down a little after 3 a.m. at JFK Airport, sources said.

Air traffic controllers initially told the airport that 70 people were sickened but just two dozen were treated for symptoms by EMS. No one was hospitalized.

Cape Verde – Luxury Resort Facing Legal Trouble After Food Poisoning Accusations

Food Poisoning News

What should have been idyllic vacations turned into health ordeals for multiple tourists at the Riu Palace Santa Maria, a five-star resort in Cape Verde, an archipelago and island country off West Africa. Several holidaymakers have joined a legal claim against the resort after experiencing severe food poisoning and ongoing health issues, according to an article in the Independent.