Category Archives: Illness

Research – Majority of foodborne infections rose in 2022 in the Netherlands

Posted on September 14, 2023 by | Leave a comment

Food Safety News

Most foodborne infections increased in the Netherlands in 2022 compared to the year before, according to the latest figures.

The most notable outbreak was when 72 people contracted typhoid fever on a ship that housed asylum seekers. It was likely that they were infected by Salmonella Typhi through the ship’s drinking water supply, which was old and located near sewage pipes. There was also a shigellosis outbreak related to travel to Cape Verde that continued into 2023.

Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) infections saw a sharp rise, with levels in 2022 the highest since 2016. The cause for this increase is unclear, according to the report published by the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM).

The number of people sick due to Salmonella or Campylobacter increased this past year, though it did not reach pre-pandemic levels. However, the number of people affected by norovirus did reach 2020 levels. Listeria infections also rose above pre-pandemic levels.

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Posted in Campylobacter, campylobacter coli, Campylobacter jejuni, food bourne outbreak, Food Illness, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, Foodborne Illness, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Illness, microbial contamination, Microbial growth, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Microbiology Risk, outbreak, Salmonella, STEC, STEC E.coli

USA – FDA – Investigations of Foodborne Illness Outbreaks

Posted on September 14, 2023 by | Leave a comment

FDA

What’s New

  • For the outbreak of Salmonella Newport (ref #1179) in a not yet identified product, FDA has initiated on-site inspection and sample collection.
Date
 Ref Pathogen
or
Cause of
Illness		 Product(s)
Linked to
Illnesses
(if any)		 Total
Case
Count
Status
8/30/2023 1179 Salmonella
Newport		 Not Yet
Identified		 8 Active
8/30/2023 1174 Cryptosporidium Not Yet
Identified		 11 Active
8/9/2023 1172 Listeria
monocytogenes		 Ice Cream See
Advisory		 Active
7/6/2023 1163 Cyclospora
cayetanensis		 Not Yet
Identified		 140 Active
6/14/2023 1159 Cyclospora
cayetanensis		 Not Yet
Identified		 72 Active
3/1/2023 1143 Hepatitis
A Virus		 Frozen
Strawberries		 See
Advisory		 Active

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Posted in Cryptosporidiosis, Cryptosporidium, Cyclospora, Cyclosporiasis, food bourne outbreak, Food Illness, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, Foodborne Illness, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Hepatitis A, Illness, Listeria, Listeria Ice Cream, Listeria monocytogenes, microbial contamination, Microbial growth, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Microbiology Risk, outbreak, Salmonella

Canada – Fueling Brains E. coli Outbreak jumps to 264 Sickened

Posted on September 14, 2023 by | Leave a comment

Food Poison Journal

Alberta Health Services (AHS) has now reported that the Fueling Brains Day Care E. coli outbreak includes 264 lab-confirmed cases. On Tuesday, an AHS spokesperson confirmed 33 more cases had been linked to the outbreak in the past day.

The provincial health authority said there are now 25 patients in hospital.

Since the outbreak was declared at the start of last week, 12 patients have been discharged from hospital.

21 children have been diagnosed with hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). Six of those are presently receiving dialysis.

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Posted in E.coli O157, E.coli O157:H7, food bourne outbreak, Food Illness, Foodborne Illness, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Illness, outbreak, STEC, STEC E.coli

France – Emergency Serious food poisoning: 10 cases of botulism, including 8 hospitalized and 1 death, linked to visiting a restaurant in Bordeaux

Posted on September 14, 2023 by | Leave a comment

Sante Publique

kswfoodworld

The health authorities, in conjunction with Public Health France and the National Reference Center for Botulism (Institut Pasteur) recommend that people who have visited the Bordeaux establishment Tchin Tchin Wine Bar (3 Rue Emile Duployé, 33000 Bordeaux) between Monday 4 and Sunday September 10, 2023 to consult a doctor urgently or to contact the 15th, mentioning cases of botulism, in the event of symptoms appearing after this attendance.

The people concerned all frequented the same restaurant-bar in Bordeaux, the Tchin Tchin Wine Bar, over the last week. The suspected foods are at this stage canned sardines in oil homemade by the restaurateur and served between September 4 and 10, 2023 in this Bordeaux restaurant. 

Botulism is a serious disease (fatal in 5 to 10% of cases) whose incubation time can range from a few hours to a few days. 
Symptoms include, to varying degrees: early digestive signs which may be fleeting (abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea), eye damage (failure to accommodate, blurred or double vision), dry mouth accompanied by a lack of swallowing or even speech, or neurological symptoms (wrong paths, more or less severe paralysis of the muscles). There is usually no fever.

If you have symptoms, consult a doctor urgently or contact 15, mentioning cases of botulism.

What are the possible sources of contamination?

Botulism is a serious neurological condition caused by a very potent toxin produced by the bacteria Clostridium botulinum. It develops particularly in poorly preserved foods. In France, the majority of cases of botulism correspond to food poisoning, by ingestion of the toxin produced by C. botulinum in preserved foods that have not undergone an extensive sterilization process: cured meats, cold meats or even family-made preserves. or artisanal.

It is the extremely powerful toxin that it synthesizes that is responsible for the disease.

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Posted in Clostridium, Clostridium botulinum, Death, food bourne outbreak, food death, Food Illness, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Poisoning, Food Poisoning Death, Foodborne Illness, Foodborne Illness Death, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Illness, microbial contamination, Microbial growth, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Microbiology Risk, outbreak, Poisoning

USA – Mishandled rice sickens at least 28 people at Suffolk County restaurant

Posted on September 13, 2023 by | Leave a comment

ABC7NY

STONY BROOK, New York (WABC) — More than two dozen people got sick from a likely food poisoning incident at a restaurant in Suffolk County.

It happened at “Kumo Sushi & Steakhouse” in Stony Brook on Saturday.

Of the 28 people sickened, 12 had to be taken to the hospital.

The County Health Department says the people were likely sickened by mishandled and improperly stored rice.

The department issued 15 violations to the restaurant including eight for foodborne illness risk factors.

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Posted in Decontamination Microbial, Food Illness, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, Foodborne Illness, Illness, microbial contamination, Microbial growth, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Microbiology Risk

Burgers suspected as source of E. coli outbreak in Norway – O26:H11

Posted on September 13, 2023 by | Leave a comment

Food Safety News

Norwegian officials have named the suspected source of an E. coli outbreak that affected 15 people.

The Norwegian Institute of Public Health (FHI) said the same type of E. coli O26:H11 had been detected in all those infected.

Two hamburger products that are the likely source of the ongoing outbreak have been recalled.

In August, it was reported that six people across the country were sick.

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Posted in E.coli O26, E.coli O26 :H11, food bourne outbreak, Food Illness, Foodborne Illness, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Illness, outbreak, STEC, STEC E.coli

Canada- Patient count exceeds 225 in E. coli O157 outbreak linked to daycare centers

Posted on September 13, 2023 by | Leave a comment

Food Safety News

The patient count in an E. coli outbreak linked to daycare centers in Calgary, Canada, now stands at 231.

Alberta Health Services officials say 26 of the sick are currently hospitalized, 25 of them children and one adult. Eleven other children have already been discharged from hospitals. Twenty-one children have hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) which is a type of kidney failure that also affects other organs.

A specific food has not been identified as the source of the E. coli O157:H7, but investigators have collected samples of leftovers and frozen food for testing. Eleven daycare centers that share a common kitchen were closed.

The central kitchen that serves the 11 daycare centers remains closed.

Four daycare centers were given permission to reopen Monday. The four centers did not have any illnesses linked to the outbreak. The remaining seven will be allowed to reopen Tuesday. Staff and daycare attendees from those seven centers must test negative before returning to any daycare center, according to Alberta Health Services.

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has asked the provincial health minister and the provincial minister for children and family services to investigate the outbreak and provide a full assessment of the situation.

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Posted in E.coli O157, E.coli O157:H7, food bourne outbreak, Food Illness, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, Foodborne Illness, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Illness, microbial contamination, Microbial growth, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Microbiology Risk, outbreak, STEC, STEC E.coli

Critical food-handling violations found at Fueling Minds central kitchen in Calgary—Updated – STEC E.coli O157

Posted on September 13, 2023 by | Leave a comment

EFOOD ALERT

The central kitchen that supplied food to eleven daycare centers in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, was in violation of several fundamental safe food-handling practices, according to a report released by Alberta Health Services (AHS).

The kitchen was ordered closed on September 4, 2023, and was inspected by the AHS the following day.

The KidsU Centennial – Fueling Minds Inc. central kitchen was linked to an outbreak of E. coli O157 infections that has infected at least 264 individuals as of September 12, 2023, and sent 37 of them to hospital.

Eleven of the hospitalized victims have been released. Twenty-five individuals remain in hospital, and 22 of those patients are suffering from haemolytic uremic syndrome, or HUS. Six patients are receiving peritoneal dialysis.

The Fueling Minds kitchen supplied food to eleven daycare centers in the Calgary area. All of the centers were ordered closed pending cleaning, sanitation and inspection. All of them have now been allowed to reopen.

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Posted in food bourne outbreak, Food Illness, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, Foodborne Illness, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Illness, microbial contamination, Microbial growth, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Microbiology Risk, outbreak

India – Madhya Pradesh: 22 Hostel Students Fall Ill Due To Food Poisoning In Alirajpur

Posted on September 12, 2023 by | Leave a comment

Free Press Journal

Alirajpur (Madhya Pradesh): A total of 22 students staying at a hostel in Badi Hirapur village under Jobat tehsil have fallen sick due to food poisoning after having dinner, police said on Saturday.

The students had developed stomach aches and vomiting on Saturday. They were rushed to the district hospital at night and given primary treatment. Relatives of the students had gathered outside the hospital where they had been admitted.

A team of officials have been sent to the hostel to check the water source, quality of food supplied, the area where food is stored and prepared, to ensure that cleanliness and hygiene are maintained in the hostel campus.

The collector has suspended hostel superintendent Karam Singh Rawat for negligence and lack of supervision.

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Posted in food bourne outbreak, Food Illness, Food Poisoning, Foodborne Illness, foodbourne outbreak, Illness, outbreak, Poisoning

USA – An E. coli Tragedy – 190 sick, 34 in hospital and 20 with hemolytic uremic syndrome

Posted on September 11, 2023 by | Leave a comment

Food Poison Journal

According to CTV News, the number of lab-confirmed cases of E. coli climbed again Sunday, rising to 190, stemming from a shared kitchen that 11 Calgary Fueling Brains daycares use but four daycares have reported no E. coli cases at all.

An Alberta Health Services (AHS) spokesperson sent updated figures to CTV News, showing that there are currently 27 patients receiving care in hospital. Seven others have been discharged since the beginning of the outbreak.

The number of patients confirmed to have severe hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) rose to 20 from 19 on Saturday.

“Based on the epidemiology of the cases we’ve seen to date, it is highly likely the source of this outbreak is food that was distributed from the central kitchen,” AHS said. “At this point, AHS has not been able to identify a food item that was the source. We continue to investigate.”

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Posted in E.coli O157, E.coli O157:H7, food bourne outbreak, Food Illness, Foodborne Illness, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Haemolytic Uremic Syndrome, HUS, Illness, STEC, STEC E.coli