Category Archives: Microbiology Investigations

USA – The latest on Gino’s Ristorante & Pizzeria Hepatitis A outbreak in Norristown Montgomery County Pennsylvania

Posted on January 18, 2022 by | Leave a comment

Food Poison Journal

NORRISTOWN, PA – The Montgomery County Office of Public Health(OPH) announced today the temporary closure of Gino’s Ristorante & Pizzeria in West Norriton in relation to a Hepatitis A Virus (HAV) outbreak in the county. The restaurant will be closed until further notice while the investigation continues.

Per standard public health protocols, OPH coordinated with the Pennsylvania Department of Health to issue a health advisory on Wednesday. As a result, OPH continues to receive additional information to support its investigation and identify additional potential cases. Investigation conducted to date suggests the exposure occurred in late November no longer presents a risk. However, additional investigation into probable cases resulting from the health advisory associated with this outbreak are underway. In the interest of public health, the restaurant has been shut down until further notice.

At this time, 11 total cases are under investigation, with 9 confirmed cases of Hepatitis A and 2 potential cases of Hepatitis A. Of the 9 confirmed cases, 7 people were hospitalized. To date, one death is confirmed and one additional death is under investigation.

The source of the outbreak remains under investigation. Anyone experiencing symptoms of Hepatitis A should contact their doctor.

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Posted in Death, food bourne outbreak, food death, Food Illness, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Poisoning Death, Food Virus Death, Foodborne Illness, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Hepatitis A, Illness, microbial contamination, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, outbreak, Virus, Virus Vaccination

USA – Salmonella Outbreak Linked to Pet Bearded Dragons

Posted on January 18, 2022 by | Leave a comment

CDC

Fast Facts
  • Illnesses: 44
  • Hospitalizations: 15
  • Deaths: 0
  • States: 25
  • Investigation status: Active
Bearded dragon on a white background
Bearded Dragons and Salmonella

Bearded dragons can carry Salmonella germs in their droppings even if they look healthy and clean. These germs can easily spread to their bodies and anything in the area where they live and roam.

You can get sick from touching your bearded dragon or anything in its environment and then touching your mouth and swallowing Salmonella germs.

What You Should Do

Always take these steps to stay healthy around your pet bearded dragon:

  • Wash your hands
    • Always wash hands thoroughly with soap and water right after touching or feeding your bearded dragon and after touching or cleaning the area where it lives and roams.
    • Adults should make sure young children are washing their hands.
  • Play safely
    • Don’t kiss or snuggle your bearded dragon, and don’t eat or drink around it. This can spread Salmonella germs to your mouth and make you sick.
    • Keep your bearded dragon out of your kitchen and other areas where you eat, store, or prepare food.
  • Keep things clean
    • Clean your bearded dragon supplies outside the house, if possible. These supplies may include its feeders, toys, and food and water containers.
    • If you clean the supplies indoors, don’t clean them in the kitchen or other areas where you eat or prepare food. Use a laundry sink or bathtub, and thoroughly clean and disinfect the area right after.

If you are thinking of getting a pet bearded dragon:

  • Pick the right pet for your family
    • Bearded dragons and other reptiles are not recommended for children younger than 5, adults aged 65 and older, and people with weakened immune systems. These people are more likely to get a serious illness from germs that reptiles can carry.

Call your healthcare provider right away if you have any of these severe Salmonella symptoms:

  • Diarrhea and a fever higher than 102°F
  • Diarrhea for more than 3 days that is not improving
  • Bloody diarrhea
  • So much vomiting that you cannot keep liquids down
  • Signs of dehydration, such as:
    • Not peeing much
    • Dry mouth and throat
    • Feeling dizzy when standing up
What Businesses Should Do
  • Educate customers about how to stay healthy around bearded dragons.
    • This poster provides information on how to stay healthy around pet reptiles, including bearded dragons.
    • Consider putting the poster right by the bearded dragon area and giving a copy to customers who are buying a bearded dragon.
    • This graphicimage icon can be used as a sticker and illustrates handwashing when handling pet reptiles, including bearded dragons.
  • Learn more about how to protect your customers and employees from Salmonella infection and other diseases shared between animals and humans.
Symptoms of Salmonella
  • Most people infected with Salmonella experience diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps.
    • Symptoms usually start 6 hours to 6 days after swallowing the bacteria.
    • Most people recover without treatment after 4 to 7 days.
  • Some people – especially children younger than 5 years, adults 65 years and older, and people with weakened immune systems – may experience more severe illnesses that require medical treatment or hospitalization.
  • For more information about Salmonella, see the Salmonella Questions and Answers page.
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Posted in Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology Blog, microbial contamination, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, outbreak, Salmonella

Netherlands – Safety warning Pasta chicken green pesto Lidl from the brand Chef Select & you

Posted on January 18, 2022 by | Leave a comment

NVWA

Safety warning Pasta chicken green pesto Lidl from the brand Chef Select & you

Lidl Netherlands has issued a safety warning for the product ‘Pasta chicken green pesto’ of the brand ‘Chef Select & you’.  

Due to a production error, the chicken in the product may not have been cooked sufficiently. Consuming the ‘Chicken Pasta Green Pesto’ with the best-before dates below may pose a health hazard. This is especially true for the elderly, pregnant women and people with a weakened immune system.

Which products are involved? 
This safety warning only applies to the product “Chicken Pasta Green Pesto” of the brand ‘Chef Select & you’, with best before date 19-01-2022 to 25-01-2022 and barcode 4056489476221. 

See Lidl’s website

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Posted in Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, microbial contamination, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations

Researchers tackle Salmonella in onions

Posted on January 17, 2022 by | Leave a comment

Uvalde Leader News

Salmonella contamination of bulb onions, which caused recalls across the U.S. and Canada in 2020, is the focus of a Texas A&M AgriLife Research project to help onion producers solve the problem.

Salmonella outbreaks in onions and onion products show that the pathogen might persist during production, handling or storage. This is a significant concern to the onion produce industry, researchers said.

“Little is known about salmonella’s behavior related to bulb onions,” said Vijay Joshi, Ph.D., AgriLife Research assistant professor in the Department of Horticultural Sciences and systems physiologist at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center at Uvalde.

Joshi’s team, over the next two years, with more than $400,000 in grant support from the Center for Produce Safety, will develop an onion-specific risk reduction plan to deliver to industry.

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Posted in Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, microbial contamination, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Research, Salmonella, Salmonella in Onions, Salmonella Oranienburg

Research – HUS reports down in Italy but stable in France; some linked to raw milk

Posted on January 17, 2022 by | Leave a comment

Food Safety News

Italy and France have reported updated statistics on a potentially fatal complication of E. coli infection.

The complication, hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) is a type of kidney failure that can result in lifelong, serious health problems and death.

Italian data is from the start of September 2020 to the end of August 2021 when 49 cases were recorded. There were 84 cases from September 2019 to August 2020. French figures cover 2020 when 167 cases were reported.

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Posted in E.coli, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, Haemolytic Uremic Syndrome, HUS, microbial contamination, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, STEC, STEC E.coli

Norway –  Investigates Salmonella Blockley outbreak

Posted on January 17, 2022 by | Leave a comment

Outbreak News Today

The Norwegian Institute of Public Health (FHI) reports investigating an outbreak of Salmonella enterica serotype Blockley (Salmonella Blockley).

To date, infections have been detected in 16 people living in several counties in Norway. The source of the infection is currently unknown, and an outbreak investigation has been initiated in collaboration with the Norwegian Food Safety Authority and the Norwegian Veterinary Institute.

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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, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, outbreak, Salmonella

Research – UC-Santa Cruz undergraduates win award for system that fights E. coli

Posted on January 16, 2022 by | Leave a comment

Food Safety News

A team of undergraduates at the University of California-Santa Cruz has developed a system called Progenie that’s designed to target and eliminate a toxic gene found in Shiga toxin-producing E. coli.

The team’s method provides an alternative to antibiotics commonly used in agriculture. This new method is designed in part to stop the rise of drug-resistant bacteria.

The team’s project won a gold medal at the International Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) Jamboree, an annual competition that brings together student teams from around the world to present synthetic biology projects that aim to address pressing global issues.

At the jamboree, teams are judged on their virtual project posters, wiki pages, and video presentations. Teams are awarded gold medals if they demonstrate excellence across multiple categories.

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Posted in Antibiotic Resistance, Antimicrobials, Decontamination Microbial, E.coli, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Technology, microbial contamination, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Research

Research – Consumption of Raw Flour in the United States: Results from the 2019 U.S. Food and Drug Administration Food Safety and Nutrition Survey

Posted on January 15, 2022 by | Leave a comment

Journal of Food Protection

ABSTRACT

Several outbreaks of Shiga toxin–producing Escherichia coli infections in the past decade have been linked to flour and flour-associated products and have raised concerns that the consumption of raw flour represents a public health risk as a vehicle for foodborne pathogens. The extent to which consumers know and understand that they should not consume raw flour is unclear. In fall 2019, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration collected data on perceptions regarding uncooked flour and on self-reported consumption behaviors via the Food Safety and Nutrition Survey, a national probability survey of U.S. adults (≥18 years of age). Cross-tabulations and regressions were used to analyze the data (n = 2,171). Thirty-five percent of consumers reported having tasted or eaten something with uncooked flour in it in the previous 12 months. Responses differed significantly by sex, race, education, and age. On average, respondents indicated that uncooked flour is not likely to contain germs that can make people sick, with significant differences noted by demographic categories. Respondents rated raw homemade cookie dough as moderately likely to have germs that can make people sick, with significant demographic differences. These findings indicate that U.S. consumers are largely unaware that raw flour is risky to consume, and many people are consuming products that contain raw flour.

HIGHLIGHTS
  • About one-third of consumers reported having consumed uncooked flour in the previous year.
  • Large demographic differences were found in reported consumption of uncooked flour.
  • Most U.S. consumers do not consider uncooked flour as risky to consume.

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Posted in Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, microbial contamination, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Research, STEC, STEC E.coli

Research – Effects of sodium alginate edible coating with cinnamon essential oil nanocapsules and Nisin on quality and shelf life of beef slices during refrigeration

Posted on January 15, 2022 by | Leave a comment

Journal of Food Protection

The effects of the sodium alginate (SA) coating incorporated with cinnamon essential oil nanocapsules (CEO-NPs) and Nisin, as a new edible coating, were investigated on the preservation of beef slices in the refrigerated storage for 15 days. All beef samples were analyzed for physicochemical properties (pH value, weight loss, the total volatile base nitrogen (TVB-N)) and antimicrobial activity against total bacterial count (TBC). Besides, the changes in color parameters and sensory attributes of all beef samples were evaluated. The results revealed that the incorporation of the complex of CEO-NPs and Nisin retarded the growth of the microorganism and reduced lipid oxidation, as determined by pH, TVB-N, and TBC. This can extend the shelf life of beef slices to 15 days. Moreover, the treatment with the SA coating, incorporating CEO-NPs and Nisin, significantly improved the weight loss, color, odor, textural, and broth attributes of the beef samples. The results suggest that the coating treatment enriched with CEO-NPs and Nisin could significantly inhibit quality deterioration of beef slices, and the complex of CEO-NPs and Nisin can improve antioxidant, antibacterial and sensory properties of the SA coating. Thus, the new edible coating could be regarded as a potential material to preserve beef slices.

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Posted in antimicrobial resistance, Antimicrobials, Decontamination Microbial, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, microbial contamination, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Nisin, Research

Research – Improving ready-to-eat apple cubes’ safety using chitosan-based active coatings

Posted on January 14, 2022 by | Leave a comment

Wiley Online

The use of active coatings is shown as an option to offer safe ready-to-eat fruits and respond the growing demand of consumers for fresh, environmentally friendly and products free from chemical preservatives. In this work, chitosan (Ch), chitosan + vanillin (Ch-V), and chitosan + geraniol (Ch-G) coatings were applied on apple cubes to evaluate their microbiological quality for 12 days of refrigerated storage. All combinations applied demonstrated significant bactericidal effects on native microbiota, resulting in number of mesophilics, psychrotrophics, and yeasts and molds under the detection limit (<2.00 log) immediately after coating and during 12 days for most of them. Moreover, Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Listeria innocua artificially inoculated on apple cubes showed great reductions after coating treatments, exerting vanillin or geraniol enriched coatings outstanding antimicrobial activity. In fact, after 12 days of refrigerated storage, apple cubes treated with vanillin and geraniol (>2.00 log CFU/g) showed reductions in E. coli O157:H7 counts greater than 2.00 log in comparison with the control (4.68 log CFU/g). The preliminary results of this study demonstrated that Ch, Ch-Va, and Ch-Ge could be an interesting alternative to improve the safety of apple cubes and, therefore, a novel option to offer safe, ready-to-eat apple to consumers.

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Posted in Decontamination Microbial, E.coli O157, E.coli O157:H7, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Technology, Listeria, Listeria invanovi, Listeria monocytogenes, microbial contamination, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Research