Category Archives: Illness

USA – Unnamed Pathogen sickens dozens and prompts recall of Galveston Bay Oysters

Posted on December 12, 2022 by | Leave a comment

Food Poison Journal

The Texas Department of State Health Services has ordered a recall of all oysters harvested in the TX 1 area of south eastern Galveston Bay after reports of a few dozen cases of gastrointestinal illness among people who ate oysters from those waters. The recall includes oysters in the shell and shucked oysters harvested in the area from Nov. 17 through Dec. 7.

Consumers who purchased Texas oysters since Nov. 17 should check the packaging to see if they were harvested in TX 1. If the oysters were unpackaged, they should contact the seller to find the source. Restaurants should contact their distributor for information on the source of their oysters. Any oysters from TX 1 should be discarded.

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Posted in Decontamination Microbial, 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, gastroenteritis, Illness, microbial contamination, Microbial growth, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, outbreak

Norway/Sweden – Salmonella outbreak grows and spreads to Sweden

Posted on December 12, 2022 by | Leave a comment

Food Safety News

A Salmonella outbreak initially reported in Norway has grown and now is also affecting Sweden.

The Norwegian Institute of Public Health (FHI) said 58 people are sick in the Salmonella Agona outbreak and 23 had been hospitalized. This is up from 31 sick and 13 hospitalizations.

In Sweden, 26 people have been affected, according to the Public Health Agency of Sweden (Folkhälsomyndigheten).

An investigation to find the source is ongoing with FHI, local officials, the Norwegian Food Safety Authority (Mattilsynet), and the Veterinary Institute. The cause is believed to be an imported food product distributed across the country and also in Sweden.

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USA- Update – Outbreak Investigation of Listeria monocytogenes: Brie and Camembert Soft Cheese Products (September 2022)

Posted on December 12, 2022 by | Leave a comment

FDA

The FDA, along with CDC and state and local partners, investigated a multistate outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes infections linked to Brie and Camembert soft cheese products, including baked Brie cheeses, manufactured by Old Europe Cheese, Inc. of Benton Harbor, MI, and sold at various retailers under multiple labels and brands.  

As of December 9, 2022, CDC announced that the outbreak is over with a total of six illnesses in six states. 

On September 30, 2022, Old Europe Cheese, Inc. voluntarily recalled multiple brands of Brie and Camembert cheeses produced at their Michigan facility and on October 5, 2022 expanded their recall to include multiple brands of baked Brie products. On November 4, 2022, the firm’s recall notification was updated to include an expanded list of retail establishments that received recalled bulk Brie and Camembert cheese from Old Europe Cheese, Inc. The list of recalled products and stores that potentially sold these products is available below and on the firm’s recall. 

Recommendation

Recalled products are no longer available for sale, but the recalled baked Brie products may have been sold frozen or purchased and later frozen by consumers, so consumers should check their freezers for any recalled Old Europe Cheese, Inc. products, including baked brie, with Best By Dates ranging from September 28, 2022, to December 14, 2022. If you have recalled frozen Old Europe Cheese products in your freezer, do not eat or serve them and throw them away.

Follow FDA’s safe handling and cleaning advice and use extra vigilance in cleaning and sanitizing any surfaces and containers that may have come in contact with these products to reduce the risk of cross-contamination, including retailers who repackaged bulk recalled cheese. Listeria can survive in refrigerated temperatures and can easily spread to other foods and surfaces.

Case Count Map Provided by CDC

CDC Case Count for the Outbreak Investigation of Listeria monocytogenes from Brie and Camembert Soft Cheese Products (as of 10/6/2022)

Case Counts

Total Illnesses: 6
Hospitalizations: 5
Deaths: 0
Last illness onset: August 5, 2022
States with Cases: CA, GA, MA, MI, NJ, TX
Product Distribution: Nationwide

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Posted in Decontamination Microbial, 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, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, microbial contamination, Microbial growth, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Microbiology Risk, outbreak, Uncategorized

Shannon Illingworth Explains Why Lettuce and Spinach Keeps Getting Contaminated With E. Coli

Posted on December 10, 2022 by | Leave a comment

yahoo finance

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reports that  each year in the United States, 48 million people get sick, 128,000 are hospitalized, and 3,000 die from foodborne diseases.

“Those numbers are staggering and unacceptable,” says Shannon Illingworth, founder of “Know the Grow.”

Illingworth is spreading the word that our nation’s food system is in crisis, and it’s time for people to understand where and how their food was grown.

“That lettuce on your plate may have come from thousands of miles away, picked way ahead of its peak flavor and nutritional value, and may have been exposed to pathogens in dozens of ways during its voyage from seedling to your table,” he said.

According to the CDC, “Germs can contaminate leafy greens at many points before they reach your plate. For example, germs from animal poop can get in irrigation water or fields where vegetables grow. Germs can also get on leafy greens in packing and processing facilities, in trucks used for shipping, from the unwashed hands of food handlers, and in the kitchen.”

Read more at the link above.

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Posted in Decontamination Microbial, food death, Food Illness, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Pathogen, Food Poisoning Death, Foodborne Illness, Foodborne Illness Death, Illness, microbial contamination, Microbial growth, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Microbiology Risk, Pathogen, pathogenic

Australia – Investigations into Central Coast Salmonella outbreak continue

Posted on December 7, 2022 by | Leave a comment

NSW GOV AU

NSW Health and the NSW Food Authority are continuing to investigate a significant foodborne outbreak following a conference on the Central Coast last week.

At least 69 people from across NSW, the Northern Territory and Queensland are known to have become unwell with symptoms of food poisoning, of which 27 people have confirmed Salmonella infections to date.

Dr Jeremy McAnulty, NSW Health Executive Director of Public Health, said public health officials from across NSW have been working to speak to all those who have become unwell after attending or working at the conference.

“Close to 230 people attended or worked at the two-day conference, and so far at least 31 of them are known to have attended Emergency Departments,” Dr McAnulty said.

“NSW Health is working closely with the NSW Food Authority to investigate the cause of the outbreak.

“Our public health experts continue to contact people associated with the event, including attendees from the Aboriginal Languages Trust and we thank all of those who have assisted us so far.

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Australia – Donuts for weight loss? A norovirus outbreak associated with a bakery in the Australian Capital Territory

Posted on December 7, 2022 by | Leave a comment

Gov Au

Three hundred and one people were surveyed, and 215 individuals (71.4%) reported vomiting and/or diarrhoea following consumption of a donut purchased from the business over a five-day period.
 
All ill respondents reported eating a donut. The medians of incubation period and illness duration were 34 hours (interquartile range, IQR: 29–42 hours) and 48 hours (IQR: 29–72 hours) respectively. Diarrhoea, vomiting and abdominal pain were the most commonly reported symptoms.
 
Eight out of 11 specimens collected from ill individuals were positive for norovirus. For the case-control study, data from 59 attendees were collected, with an attack rate of 46% (27/59). Eating any kind of filled donut was associated with a person becoming ill (odds ratio: 10.4; 95% confidence interval: 1.18–478.13).
 
No single flavour was identified as the likely source of infection.
 
Elevated levels of coliforms were present in two samples of donut filling obtained during the food safety inspection.
 
Conclusion
Donuts are a novel vehicle for norovirus infection. This implicated pathogen, plus evidence collected at the food premises suggestive of faecal contamination, indicates the source of this outbreak was likely an ill food handler. The findings of this outbreak highlight the importance of excluding food
 
 
 

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

More than 250 ill in UK E. coli outbreak linked to salad

Posted on December 7, 2022 by | Leave a comment

Food Safety News

Vegetable Bacteria Danger

More than 250 people are sick in an E. coli O157 outbreak in the United Kingdom that may have been caused by salad.

There have been 259 confirmed cases in the UK with sample dates ranging from late August to the end of October, although most people fell ill in August and early September.

Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) O157 has affected people in England, Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Wales. The majority of those sick are adults.

Food Standards Scotland (FSS), the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and Food Standards Agency (FSA) are investigating the outbreak.

It is the largest E. coli outbreak since Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) started to be used in 2014, according to UKHSA.

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Posted in Decontamination Microbial, 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

Research – The European Scientific Conference on Applied Infectious Disease Epidemiology (ESCAIDE)

Posted on December 6, 2022 by | Leave a comment

Escaide

Abstracts

Page 71 – An Easter Surprise: Salmonella Typhimurium outbreak linked to chocolate products in the United Kingdom, 2022; a case control study

Page 72  – International outbreak of Salmonella Typhimurium linked to a chocolate factory in 2022: Belgian findings

Page 73 – Whole Genome Sequencing identified a prolonged Salmonella Poona nursery outbreak (2016-2021) in North West England, UK

Page 74 – Climate Warming and increasing Vibrio vulnificus infections in North America

Page 106 – Timely and reliable outbreak investigation using a non-probabilistic online panel as a source of controls – two parallel case-control studies investigating a Salmonella Braenderup outbreak in Germany

Page 107 – An outbreak of Escherichia coli-associated haemolytic uremic syndrome linked to consumption of an unexpected food vehicle, France 2022

Page 108 – Outbreak investigation of cholera in a peri-urban village of Panchkula district, Haryana, India, 2021

Page 109 – Cholera Outbreak Investigation, Ballo Adda Mohalla, Lucknow District, Uttar Pradesh 2021

Page 110 – Norovirus GII.3[P12] outbreak associated with the drinking-water supply in a rural area in Galicia, Spain, 2021

Page 111 – Impact of COVID-19 restrictions on the epidemiology of Cryptosporidium spp. in England and Wales

Page 149 – Monophasic Salmonella Typhimurium outbreak linked to chocolate products, Ireland, 2022

Page 151 – Successful containment of a Listeria monocytogenes outbreak caused by shredded vegetables, Hesse/Germany, 2021-2022

Page 152 – Outbreak of monophasic Salmonella Typhimurium linked to fresh small tomatoes, Sweden, 2021

Page 194 – Cholera Outbreak Investigation, Kamarhati-Municipality, North-24-Parganas District, West Bengal, India 2021

Page 195 – Botulism outbreak and response in Dangara District Tajikistan, October 2020

Page 196 – Outbreak of suspected Clostridium perfringens associated with consumption of roast beef in a restaurant, January 2022 South West England

Page 198 – Doughnuts for weight loss? A norovirus outbreak in the Australian Capital Territory, November 2021

Page 212 – Outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease linked to unregistered cooling towers, West Midlands, England, July-September 2020

 

 

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Posted in Decontamination Microbial, food bourne outbreak, Food Illness, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, Foodborne Illness, Foodborne Illness Death, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, HUS, Illness, Legionella, Legionnaires’ disease, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, microbial contamination, Microbial growth, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Microbiology Risk, Norovirus, outbreak, Salmonella, Vibrio, Vibrio cholera, vibrio cholerae, Vibrio vulnificans, Vibrio vulnificus, Whole Genomic Sequencing

Australia – Suspected mass food poisoning at Aboriginal languages conference

Posted on December 6, 2022 by | Leave a comment

SBS

A gathering of Aboriginal language educators on the Central Coast has ended with a number of attendees hospitalised after a case of suspected food poisoning at their hotel.

Participants of the Aboriginal Languages Trust conference attended a gala dinner last Wednesday at the restaurant of the Crowne Plaza Terrigal.

Gamilaraay Yuwaalaraay man Ted Fields told NITV his partner Michelle O’Leary became violently ill just 20 minutes after dinner.
 
The number of attendees taken ill is unconfirmed but some people on social media have said there had been dozens of cases.

Speaking to NITV from Gosford Hospital, where he is still a patient, Mr Fields, 51, said he witnessed multiple attendees being admitted.
 
In a statement to NITV, NSW Health confirmed an investigation into the incident is underway.

“Aboriginal Languages Trust is aware of a number of cases of a gastro-like illness in people who attended a two-day conference held at a Terrigal venue on Wednesday.

“NSW Health is urgently investigating the situation to identify the cause of illness, in collaboration with the NSW Food Authority.”

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

Research – Microphone-equipped toilet will detect diseases and give you advice – What more can I say :)

Posted on December 6, 2022 by | Leave a comment

Interesting Engineering

In order for patients to be treated for cholera, they must know that they have the disease first. However, it can be a sensitive and difficult task to monitor bowel diseases, such as cholera. Maia Gatlin, a research engineer at the Georgia Institute of Technology, created a way to use artificial intelligence to detect diarrhea. She calls her presentation The Feces Thesis: Using Machine Learning to Detect Diarrhea.

A noninvasive microphone sensor can detect disease in bowels

Gatlin will be presenting her thesis and the sensor tool today, Dec. 5, at the annual Meeting of the Acoustical Society of America, explaining her findings on how machine learning can be used to detect diseases in the bowel. She uses a noninvasive microphone sensor to identify bowel diseases, without necessarily collecting identifiable information, meaning the AI can determine the infection without having to be examined in a medical facility to collect additional data.

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