Category Archives: Illness

Northern Ireland Public Health – E.coli Outbreak Belfast

Posted on October 16, 2012 by | Leave a comment

BBC

E. coli outbreak in Belfast is ‘a major crisis’ says PHA

 The outbreak has been linked to An E. coli outbreak linked to a Belfast restaurant has been described as “major public health crisis” by Northern Ireland’s Public Health Agency (PHA).

The PHA said there are now 20 confirmed cases and 118 suspected cases of food poisoning following an investigation at Flicks restaurant at Cityside Mall.

Six people have been hospitalised since the start of the outbreak, but most have since been discharged.

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Posted in Bacteria, E.coli, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Foodborne Illness, Hygiene, Illness, Microbiology, outbreak, Pathogen

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HPA Salmonella in Mycoprotein Update

Posted on October 16, 2012 by | Leave a comment

HPA –

 The Health Protection Agency (HPA) has seen seven cases of Salmonella Enteritidis PT1 following consumption of a pasteurised liquid egg product which was sold through Myprotein® and Nutri Centre websites and Nutri Centre stores. Testing of a sample of the product also showed a positive result for the same type of salmonella. No other products are known to be affected.

 

The product, a Myprotein own brand ‘Free Range Liquid Egg Whites’, was recalled on October 10 by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) and the company are no longer selling it. The FSA are working to identify the source of the eggs used in the product.

Salmonella bacteria live in the gut of many animals and can affect meat, eggs, poultry, and milk. Infection with this type of salmonella causes a similar illness to other forms of salmonella infection and symptoms include diarrhoea, vomiting, abdominal pain and fever.

There has been no national increase in this type of salmonella. In the seven weeks from the end of August to 9 October (weeks 34-40) there were a total of 42 non-travel cases of Salmonella Enteritidis PT 1 reported to the HPA (including the seven cases above). This is compared to 48 and 47 cases in the same weeks in 2010 and 2011 respectively.

The 42 cases seen this year have been reported from most regions and range in age from infants to 78 years of age. There are more females than males (24 vs. 18) with half of the females being under ten years of age. The male cases are spread across most age groups.

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Posted in Bacteria, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Testing, Foodborne Illness, HPA, Illness, Microbiology, Pathogen, Recall, Salmonella

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XL Beef Products Canada Now on It’s 18th Expanded Recall – E.coli O157

Posted on October 15, 2012 by | Leave a comment

Food Poisoning BulletinE.coli O157:H7

The recall of beef products for E. coli 0157:H7 produced at the XL Foods plant in Canada has grown for the 17th and 18th times. This recall is linked to an E. coli 0157:H7 outbreak that has sickened at least 15 people in Canada.

Janet’s Jerky is recalling 2 pound bags of Old Fashioned Beef Jerky with no UPC numbers and purchase dates from September 17 to October 10, 2012. The products were distributed in New Brunswick. They are also recalling 2 pound bags of Old Fashioned Beef Jerky – Hot & Spicy Cajun with the same purchase dates and distribution. Also recalled is corned beef sold at l’Entrepôt de Viandes from September 11 to October 10, 2012 in Quebec.

On October 12, 2012, the CFIA announced more recalls. Nortown medium ground beef, La Préférence filet mignon and Côte de boeuf are recalled. Longos beef burgers, portobello burgers, and lean ground sirloin are recalled. You can see UPC numbers, code dates, and distribution at the CFIA web site. For questions, call the CFIA at 1-800-442-2342.

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Posted in Bacteria, CFIA, E.coli, E.coli O157, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Foodborne Illness, Hygiene, Illness, Microbiology, Pathogen, Recall

CDC – Multistate Outbreak of Human Salmonella Montevideo Infections Linked to Live Poultry in Backyard Flocks

Posted on October 13, 2012 by | Leave a comment

CDC – Final Update on the outbreak

 A total of 93 persons infected with the outbreak strain of SalmonellaMontevideo were reported from 23 states and Puerto Rico.

  • The number of ill persons identified in each state was as follows: Alaska (1), California (4), Colorado (1), Florida (1), Georgia (1), Illinois (3), Indiana (10), Iowa (2), Kansas (15), Kentucky (2), Massachusetts (2), Missouri (28), Nebraska (8), Nevada (1), New York (1), North Carolina (1), Ohio (1), Oklahoma (5), South Dakota (1), Texas (1), Vermont (1), West Virginia (1), Wyoming (1), and Puerto Rico (1).
  • 21 ill persons were hospitalized. One death was reported in Missouri, but Salmonella infection was not considered a contributing factor in this person’s death.
  • 38% of ill persons were children 10 years of age or younger.
  • Epidemiologic, laboratory, and traceback findings linked this outbreak of human Salmonella infections to contact with chicks, ducklings, and other live baby poultry from Estes Hatchery in Springfield, Missouri.

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Posted in Bacteria, CDC, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Testing, Foodborne Illness, Hygiene, Illness, Microbiology, outbreak, Pathogen, Salmonella

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BBC – School in Leeds Hit by Shigella

Posted on October 13, 2012 by | Leave a comment

BBC

The Health Protection Agency (HPA) said pupils and staff at Cross Lane Primary School in Elland had been affected by the Shigella bacteria, which can cause diarrhoea and vomiting.

The HPA said that nine cases had been confirmed and more than 50 people had displayed symptoms over the last three weeks.

The school will reopen on 15 October.

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Posted in Bacteria, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Standards Agency, Food Testing, Foodborne Illness, HPA, Hygiene, Illness, Microbiology, Pathogen, Shigella

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CFIA – XL Products Another Expanded Alert – E.coli O157:H7

Posted on October 8, 2012 by | Leave a comment

CFIA

The public warning issued on October 5, 2012 has been updated to include additional products. Previously identified products included in this recallcan be found on the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) website at http://www.inspection.gc.ca/recalls.

The CFIA is warning the public, distributors and food service establishments not to consume, sell, or serve the beef products described in this link because the products may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7.

The CFIA is advising consumers who are unsure if they have the affected beef in their home to check with the store(s) where the product was purchased or throw it out.

Public health authorities have confirmed a number of illnesses linked to products from XL Foods Inc. or illnesses associated with the XL Foods Inc. food safety investigation. For more information, visit the Public Health Agency of Canada’s website at http://www.phac.gc.ca

This voluntary recall is part of an ongoing food safety investigation. The CFIA is working with the recalling firms and distributors to identify and verify all affected products.  If additional affected products are confirmed, this table will be updated on the CFIA website. To stay informed of product updates throughout the investigation, consumers are also encouraged to subscribe to CFIA food recalls and allergy alerts at http://www.foodsafety.gc.ca.

The affected products are associated with the same XL Foods manufacturing dates of August 24, 27, 28, 29 and September 5, 2012, as the previously recalled ground beef products. The trace out from XL to secondary and tertiary distributors, manufacturers and retailers could result in a large number of affected products over a wide range of codes and dates.

This recall also includes unlabelled and/or unbranded beef products sold at retail stores not identified in the CFIA’s product list below, which may include small retailers, local meat markets and butcher shops, etc. Therefore, the CFIA is advising consumers who are unsure if they have the affected beef products in their homes to check with the store(s) where the products were purchased or throw them out.

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Posted in Bacteria, CFIA, E.coli, E.coli O157, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Foodborne Illness, Hygiene, Illness, Microbiology, outbreak, Pathogen, Recall

New Zealand – Poorly Cooked Liver Two Dozen Food Poisoning Cases

Posted on October 8, 2012 by | 1 comment

Stuff.co.nz

Health officials are warning liver lovers to cook their offal properly, after more than two dozen cases of food poisoning in Wellington.

Twenty-six cases of campylobacter, linked to eating liver, had been reported to public health officials in the past year.

Cook liver in small batches for at least five minutes until juices are clear. Use separate cutting boards for raw meat, clean boards with hot soapy water and thoroughly clean kitchen utensils. Store raw liver products separately and well covered to prevent cross-contamination of other foods.

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Posted in Bacteria, Campylobacter, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Foodborne Illness, Hygiene, Illness, Microbiology, Pathogen

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Orkney 3 Cases of E.coli in Children Source Unknown

Posted on October 8, 2012 by | Leave a comment

BBC News

Two more cases of E. coli have been confirmed in Orkney, with a third suspected case currently being investigated. All three cases are children who attend the same nursery in Kirkwall. NHS Orkney said there was no evidence to suggest transmission of the infection had taken place at the premises.

Health officials will now screen children and staff from the nursery concerned as a precaution.

There have already been six other confirmed cases of E. coli infection in Orkney since August.

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Posted in Bacteria, E.coli, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Virus, Illness, Microbiology, outbreak, Pathogen

German Norovirus Outbreak – Chinese Strawberry’s Implicated

Posted on October 8, 2012 by | Leave a comment

Business Insider

It started on September 19. In the East German states of Brandenburg, Saxony, Berlin, Thuringia, and Saxony-Anhalt, a lot of children and adolescents as well as a few adults suddenly fell ill with vomiting and diarrhea.

Turns out, a wholesaler had sold contaminated frozen strawberries to commercial kitchens of three companies that made cafeteria food for schools and kindergartens, among them Sodexo. Sources among the food investigators stated that the strawberries had most likely come from China.

When the strawberries were thawed to be used in desserts, they weren’t always fully heated, and the noroviruses, which are particularly resistant to cold and heat, survived. The different thawing processes used in various facilities could explain why infections occurred in some schools but not in others, though all used the strawberries from the same shipment.

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Posted in Eurofins Laboratories, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Food Virus, Foodborne Illness, Hygiene, Illness, Microbiology, Norovirus, outbreak, Pathogen, Virus

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Whole Foods – Ricotta Salata – Listeria monocytogenes

Posted on October 4, 2012 by | Leave a comment

Food Poisoning Bulletin

Whole Foods Market is recalling ricotta salata sold in 21 states and Washington D.C. because it may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. This is an update of a previous recall. There is a nationwide outbreak caused by that bacteria that has sickened at least 18 people in 12 states and D.C

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Posted in Bacteria, Eurofins Laboratories, FDA, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Foodborne Illness, Hygiene, Illness, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, Microbiology, outbreak, Pathogen, Recall

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