Category Archives: Microbiology Investigations

Denmark – Salmonella outbreak sickens 16 and kills one in Denmark

Posted on May 2, 2023 by | Leave a comment

Food Safety News

Danish officials are searching for the source of a Salmonella outbreak that has affected 16 people with one recorded death.

During March and April 2023, 16 cases of Salmonella Muenchen have been recorded.

Eight men and eight women are sick. Patients are aged between 10 and 95 with a median of 73 years old. One person has died and seven have been hospitalized.

Ill people live all over the country with eight cases in Hovedstaden, four in Sjælland, three in Midtjylland, and one in Syddanmark.

The Statens Serum Institut (SSI), Danish Veterinary and Food Administration (Fødevarestyrelsen), and DTU Food Institute are investigating the outbreak.

SSI is continuing to whole genome sequence isolates from patients and interview them or their relatives to try and identify a possible source of infection.

Whole genome sequencing of bacteria isolated from patients has found they were very closely related which suggests that there is a common source of infection.

Salmonella Muenchen is a rare type in Denmark with usually only around two to eight cases per year.

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Posted in Death, food bourne outbreak, food death, Food Illness, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, 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, Salmonella

USA – Possible Hepatitis A contamination leads to frozen blackberry recall

Posted on May 2, 2023 by | Leave a comment

Food Safety News

Patagonia Food LLC, of San Luis Obispo, CA, is recalling certain frozen blackberries because of possible hepatitis A contamination.

According to the company recall posted by the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA), the recall was initiated on March 17 and is ongoing. There is concern that consumers may have the frozen fruit in their home freezers.

The recalled blackberries were distributed in California, Oregon, Nebraska, Texas, Washington and Nevada.

Recalled product:

Product Description Recall Number Class Code Info Product Quantity Reason for Recall
Patagonia Foods 3610100 Blackberry IQF Product of Mexico Net Wt. 30 LBS. (13.61 kg) Production/Lot Code 20422 Distributed By: Patagonia Foods, LLC. San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 patagoniafoods.com F-0760-2023 Class I Lot Code: 20422 Possible Hepatitis A in blackberries

Consumers who purchased the recalled products should immediately dispose of them and not consume them.

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Posted in Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, food recall, Hepatitis A, microbial contamination, Microbial growth, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Microbiology Risk, Recall

USA – Researchers say raw milk infected people in Tennessee; one baby developed kidney failure

Posted on May 2, 2023 by | Leave a comment

Food Safety News

A new report describes how raw, unpasteurized milk in Tennessee likely caused infections in people, including infants, one of whom developed kidney failure.

The report from the Center for Infectious Disease Research & Policy (CIDRAP) discusses two babies who developed E. Coli infections after being fed raw milk from a cow-sharing arrangement in Tennessee.

Often called “herd-shares,” such arrangements get around bans on raw milk sales by legally allowing people to buy part of a herd or of a single animal so that they can consume unpasteurized milk. Participants in herd-share operations pay a farmer to care for and milk the animals.

The babies discussed in the new CIDRAP report developed diarrhea between July 25 and Aug. 1, 2022. Testing revealed Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC). Both households received raw milk from participants in the same cow share. The baby who developed kidney failure (hemolytic uremic syndrome) was hospitalized for 27 days.

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Posted in Bacterial Toxin, Decontamination Microbial, Food Illness, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, Foodborne Illness, HUS, Illness, microbial contamination, Microbial growth, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Microbiology Risk, Raw Milk, STEC, STEC E.coli

USA – Public Health reports 88 people got food poisoning at event – Bacillus cereus

Posted on May 2, 2023 by | Leave a comment

GUELPH TODAY

More than 80 people were left with food poisoning after attending an International Women’s Day event in Orangeville last month, reports Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health.

Held on March 8, around 244 guests attended the Best Western Plus Orangeville & Suites for an International Women’s Day luncheon; at least 88 of those guests found themselves experiencing vomiting, diarrhea, headaches and nausea after eating contaminated food at the event. 

The primary culprits were the sweet potatoes and quinoa in the chicken bowl, which was prepared by an outside caterer. 

Public Health inspectors found the food was contaminated with the bacillus cereus bacteria, which lives in soil and can easily attach itself to vegetables and fruits. 

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

Research – A Review of Modern Methods for the Detection of Foodborne Pathogens

Posted on May 1, 2023 by | Leave a comment

MDPI

Abstract

Despite the recent advances in food preservation techniques and food safety, significant disease outbreaks linked to foodborne pathogens such as bacteria, fungi, and viruses still occur worldwide indicating that these pathogens still constitute significant risks to public health. Although extensive reviews of methods for foodborne pathogens detection exist, most are skewed towards bacteria despite the increasing relevance of other pathogens such as viruses. Therefore, this review of foodborne pathogen detection methods is holistic, focusing on pathogenic bacteria, fungi, and viruses. This review has shown that culture-based methods allied with new approaches are beneficial for the detection of foodborne pathogens. The current application of immunoassay methods, especially for bacterial and fungal toxins detection in foods, are reviewed. The use and benefits of nucleic acid-based PCR methods and next-generation sequencing-based methods for bacterial, fungal, and viral pathogens’ detection and their toxins in foods are also reviewed. This review has, therefore, shown that different modern methods exist for the detection of current and emerging foodborne bacterial, fungal, and viral pathogens. It provides further evidence that the full utilization of these tools can lead to early detection and control of foodborne diseases, enhancing public health and reducing the frequency of disease outbreaks.

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Posted in Bacterial Toxin, Decontamination Microbial, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Pathogen, Food Toxin, Food Virus, foodborne disease, Foodborne Illness, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, microbial contamination, Microbial growth, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Microbiology Risk, Mycotoxin, Pathogen, pathogenic

Research – Polyurethane Foam as a Novel Material for Ochratoxin A Removal in Tea and Herbal Infusions—A Quantitative Approach

Posted on May 1, 2023 by | Leave a comment

MDPI

Abstract

A novel solid-phase extraction methodology followed by UHPLC-MS/MS has been developed for Ochratoxin A (OTA) analysis in herbal infusions. For this purpose, a commercial polyurethane foam (PUF) was used as sorbent, and the experimental conditions were fully optimized. The strategy was satisfactory for reducing the matrix effect and allowed for OTA quantification in black tea and herbal infusions, with suitable recoveries and quantitation limits in agreement with those required by the maximum levels allowed by current regulations. The achieved results demonstrated the unprecedented use of polyurethane foam as an effective alternative for OTA retention and quantification in herbal infusions with the advantages of simple preparation, time saving, sustainability, and low cost for routine analysis.

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Posted in Decontamination Microbial, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, microbial contamination, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology Investigations, Microbiology Risk, Ochratoxin, Ochratoxin A

Research – Human Salmonellosis: A Continuous Global Threat in the Farm-to-Fork Food Safety Continuum

Posted on May 1, 2023 by | Leave a comment

MDPI

Abstract

Salmonella is one of the most common zoonotic foodborne pathogens and a worldwide public health threat. Salmonella enterica is the most pathogenic among Salmonella species, comprising over 2500 serovars. It causes typhoid fever and gastroenteritis, and the serovars responsible for the later disease are known as non-typhoidal Salmonella (NTS). Salmonella transmission to humans happens along the farm-to-fork continuum via contaminated animal- and plant-derived foods, including poultry, eggs, fish, pork, beef, vegetables, fruits, nuts, and flour. Several virulence factors have been recognized to play a vital role in attaching, invading, and evading the host defense system. These factors include capsule, adhesion proteins, flagella, plasmids, and type III secretion systems that are encoded on the Salmonella pathogenicity islands. The increased global prevalence of NTS serovars in recent years indicates that the control approaches centered on alleviating the food animals’ contamination along the food chain have been unsuccessful. Moreover, the emergence of antibiotic-resistant Salmonella variants suggests a potential food safety crisis. This review summarizes the current state of the knowledge on the nomenclature, microbiological features, virulence factors, and the mechanism of antimicrobial resistance of Salmonella. Furthermore, it provides insights into the pathogenesis and epidemiology of Salmonella infections. The recent outbreaks of salmonellosis reported in different clinical settings and geographical regions, including Africa, the Middle East and North Africa, Latin America, Europe, and the USA in the farm-to-fork continuum, are also highlighted.

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Posted in Decontamination Microbial, food bourne outbreak, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Pathogen, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, microbial contamination, Microbial growth, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Microbiology Risk, outbreak, Pathogen, pathogenic, Salmonella, Serotype

Research – Severe Streptococcus equi Subspecies zooepidemicus Outbreak from Unpasteurized Dairy Product Consumption, Italy

Posted on April 30, 2023 by | Leave a comment

CDC

Abstract

During November 2021–May 2022, we identified 37 clinical cases of Streptococcus equi subspecies zooepidemicus infections in central Italy. Epidemiologic investigations and whole-genome sequencing showed unpasteurized fresh dairy products were the outbreak source. Early diagnosis by using sequencing technology prevented the spread of life-threatening S. equi subsp. zooepidemicus infections.

Streptococcus equi subspecies zooepidemicus is a β-hemolytic streptococcus expressing Lancefield group C antigen and is 1 of 3 S. equi subspecies. S. equi subsp. zooepidemicus is an opportunistic pathogen that can infect domestic animals, pets, and wildlife (1–6). Sporadic human cases have been reported (7), characterized by clinical manifestations that vary from meningitis to sepsis. Human infection generally occurs through direct contact with infected animals or by consumption of contaminated unpasteurized milk or other dairy products (8–10). We report a large S. equi subsp. zooepidemicus outbreak in Italy.

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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, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Illness, microbial contamination, Microbial growth, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Microbiology Risk, outbreak, Raw Milk, raw milk cheese, Raw Milk Cream, Streptococcus equi, Streptococcus equi subspecies zooepidemicus

WHO guides support limited food testing in the Pacific

Posted on April 29, 2023 by | Leave a comment

Food Safety News

There is a varied and often limited ability to test food and manage foodborne hazards in the Pacific, according to WHO.

The World Health Organization (WHO) looked at the food analysis capacity of Pacific Island countries. These nations are often vulnerable to food safety incidents and emergencies because of their geography and dependence on food imports.

The costs of establishing and operating food laboratories are relatively high. Considering the limited number of food samples tested in most Pacific Island countries, it is not practical for them to have sophisticated labs. Food is rarely tested to protect domestic consumers. It is generally only analyzed after it has become the potential source of a complaint or an illness.

WHO said it was crucial appropriate labs are identified prior to a food safety incident or emergency. A guide lists considerations for selecting referral labs and submitting samples to them.

Several nations have implemented sampling and testing of environmental water and fish and fishery products to facilitate the export of fish products. Fiji and Solomon Islands were among the first to undertake such routine analyses to meet European Union requirements.

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

Research – Irradiation as a Promising Technology to Improve Bacteriological and Physicochemical Quality of Fish

Posted on April 29, 2023 by | Leave a comment

MDPI

Abstract

Fish is an excellent source of protein and other essential minerals and vitamins; nevertheless, several food-borne disease outbreaks have been linked to the consumption of different types of fish. Therefore, we aimed to overcome these health threats by evaluating gamma radiation as a good fish preservation method. The aerobic plate count (APC), identification of most common pathogenic bacteria, organoleptic properties, proximate composition, and other chemical evaluations were detected in both untreated and gamma-treated fish. The overall grades of organoleptic evaluations ranged from good to very good. Fortunately, the overall chemical analysis of all examined fish samples was accepted. For the untreated fish samples, the APC was within and above the permissible limit (5 × 107 CFU/g). Pathogenic bacteria were detected with a high prevalence rate, especially S. aureus, which was found in high percentages among examined untreated fish samples. Regarding the treated fish samples, APC and pathogenic bacterial counts were reduced in a dose-dependent manner, and the irradiation at dose 5 KGy resulted in complete eradication of the aerobic plate count (not detectable) with a mean reduction percentage equal to 100%. However, gamma irradiation has no significant effect on proximate composition; particularly, carbohydrates, proteins, and lipids were not significantly affected by low and medium doses of radiation. Therefore, gamma irradiation is a highly effective fish preservation method without any effect on fish quality. Additionally, gamma irradiation as a cold process is an attractive technology for solving the problem arising from fish-borne pathogens, and it has been purposed in this study as a cheap and safe method for reducing microbial contamination of fish.

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