Category Archives: Microbiology

Ireland – 7,000 consumers affected by Limerick water supply boil notice – Cryptosporidium

Posted on May 17, 2023 by | Leave a comment

Limerick Post

A BOIL water notice affecting 7,000 consumers served by the Foynes/Shannon Estuary Public Water Supply has been issued by Uisce Éireann after cryptosporidium was found in the treatment plant.

The notice, which was issued  following consultation with the Health Service Executive (HSE), affects customers in Askeaton, Foynes, Ballyhahill, Loghill, Ballysteen, Pallaskenry, Kildimo and Shanagolden and surrounding areas.

All consumers affected by the notice must boil their water before drinking, preparing uncooked food, brushing teeth and making ice.

Operations Lead Duane O’Brien said Uisce Éireann acknowledged the impact of the notice on the communities affected and regrets the inconvenience to impacted customers.

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Posted in Boil Water Notice, Contaminated water, Cryptosporidiosis, Cryptosporidium, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology Blog, microbial contamination, Microbial growth, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Microbiology Risk, Water, water microbiology, Water Safety

USA – RiverStone: 80 St. Vincent employees sickened by foodborne illness in Billings

Posted on May 17, 2023 by | Leave a comment

KTVQ

RiverStone Health is investigating a large foodborne illness case with 80 people showing symptoms Friday.

RiverStone can’t confirm the source of the outbreak but says the possibly contaminated food was delivered to various St. Vincent Health Care facilities on Wednesday as part of National Nurses Day celebrations.

“A gastrointestinal illness has impacted a number of our caregivers. At this time, we believe that the illness is from an external source. We are partnering with RiverStone Health for the outbreak investigation,” St. Vincent leaders said in a statement.

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

USA – Possible Foodborne Illness Kills Two People in Montana – Lawsuit Filed on Behalf of Donna Ventura

Posted on May 17, 2023 by | Leave a comment

Food Poisoning News

On April 30th, a 64 year old woman, Donna Ventura, died of a suspected foodborne illness. The county police officer reports that she was a regular at Dave’s Sushi restaurant. One week before, a 74 year old man named William Lewis also died of a foodborne illness. He was also a patron of Dave’s Sushi. The cause of death is currently under investigation, though morel mushrooms are suspected. While the two deaths have not been “directly” linked to the sushi restaurant, yet, at least three dozen other patrons of Dave’s Sushi have reported illnesses. The autopsy results will be available in 4-6 weeks, and toxicology results will be available in 2-6 months.

The restaurant has been closed for more than 2 weeks after receiving multiple complaints from more than 30 consumers falling ill after eating Dave’s Sushi. The FDA has focused its attention on morel mushrooms, sourced from China, as the source of the illnesses. Although it is not yet confirmed that these mushrooms were what caused the outbreak, this was an off-menu addition and only those who consumed the tainted product became ill – usually within 30 to 270 minutes post-consumption.

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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, Foodborne Illness, Foodborne Illness Death, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Illness, microbial contamination, Microbial growth, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Microbiology Risk, outbreak

Czech Republic – Salmonella detected in chicken meat from Ukraine and Brazil

Posted on May 17, 2023 by | Leave a comment

Food Safety News

Officials in the Czech Republic have revealed poultry meat from Ukraine and Brazil has tested positive for Salmonella.

The State Veterinary Administration (SVS) has carried out more than 20 inspections as part of a control campaign aimed at shipments of poultry meat and eggs from countries outside the European Union.

In total, 21 inspections, 18 on poultry meat and three on eggs, have been undertaken since early April. A total of 43 samples were taken and results are available for 29 of them.

Samples of poultry meat from Ukraine, Brazil and the United Kingdom have been tested so far. As have some eggs from Ukraine.

Salmonella was confirmed four times in poultry meat, one from Ukraine and three from Brazil.

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

Research – Fate of Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella spp., and Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli on Slices of an All-Beef Soppressata during Storage

Posted on May 15, 2023 by | Leave a comment

MDPI

Abstract

Cells of Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella spp., or Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) were inoculated (ca. 4.0 log CFU/slice) onto slices (ca. 4 g each slice) of an all-beef soppressata (ca. pH 5.05 and aw 0.85). The storage of vacuum-sealed slices of inoculated soppressata at 4 °C or 20 °C for 90 days resulted in reductions of all three pathogens by ca. 2.2 to 3.1 or ca. ≥3.3 log CFU/slice, respectively. When pathogen levels decreased to below detection (≤1.18 log CFU/slice) by direct plating, it was possible to recover each of the target pathogens by enrichment, albeit more frequently from slices stored at 4 °C (p < 0.05) compared to 20 °C. In summary, the slices of the commercially produced beef soppressata selected for this study did not provide a favorable environment for either survival or outgrowth of surface-inoculated cells of L. monocytogenes, Salmonella spp., or STEC during storage.

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Posted in Decontamination Microbial, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, microbial contamination, Microbial growth, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Microbiology Risk, Salmonella, STEC, STEC E.coli

New Research Links Foodborne E. Coli Infections to “Hundreds of Thousands” of UTIs in U.S.

Posted on May 15, 2023 by | Leave a comment

Food Safety Magazine

A new study suggests that Escherichia coli infection from contaminated meat products may be responsible for hundreds of thousands of urinary tract infections in the U.S. each year.

A team of scientists led by George Washington University (GWU) Milken Institute School of Public Health researchers have developed a new genomic approach for tracking the origins of E. coli infections. Using this method, the team estimated that between 480,000 and 640,000 UTIs in the United States each year may be caused by foodborne E. coli strains.

According to GWU, E. coli is the most common cause of UTIs, causing upwards of 85 percent of cases each year. Women are at greater risk of developing UTIs, which can range from simple bladder infections to life-threatening bloodstream infections. At present, only specific types of diarrhea-causing E. coli, such as E. coli O157:H7, are rigorously monitored by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), but the new findings from GWU suggest that other strains may also pose serious health risks.

In the study, researchers collected raw chicken, turkey, and pork from major grocery store chains in Flagstaff, Arizona, and isolated E. coli from the meat samples. Simultaneously, researchers collected urine and blood E. coli isolates from patients hospitalized at the Flagstaff Medical Center for UTIs.

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Posted in bacterial contamination, Contaminated water, Decontamination Microbial, E.coli, escherichia coli, food contamination, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, microbial contamination, Microbial growth, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Microbiology Risk

Research – Salmonella Biofilm Formation under Fluidic Shear Stress on Different Surface Materials

Posted on May 15, 2023 by | Leave a comment

MDPI

Abstract

This study characterized biofilm formation of various Salmonella strains on common processing plant surface materials (stainless steel, concrete, rubber, polyethylene) under static and fluidic shear stress conditions. Surface-coupons were immersed in well-plates containing 1 mL of Salmonella (6 log CFU/mL) and incubated aerobically for 48 h at 37 °C in static or shear stress conditions. Biofilm density was determined using crystal violet assay, and biofilm cells were enumerated by plating on tryptic soy agar plates. Biofilms were visualized using scanning electron microscopy. Data were analyzed by SAS 9.4 at a significance level of 0.05. A surface–incubation condition interaction was observed for biofilm density (p < 0.001). On stainless steel, the OD600 was higher under shear stress than static incubation; whereas, on polyethylene, the OD600 was higher under static condition. Enumeration revealed surface–incubation condition (p = 0.024) and surface–strain (p < 0.001) interactions. Among all surface–incubation condition combinations, the biofilm cells were highest on polyethylene under fluidic shear stress (6.4 log/coupon; p < 0.001). Biofilms of S. Kentucky on polyethylene had the highest number of cells (7.80 log/coupon) compared to all other strain–surface combinations (p < 0.001). Electron microscopy revealed morphological and extracellular matrix differences between surfaces. Results indicate that Salmonella biofilm formation is influenced by serotype, surface, and fluidic shear stress.

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Posted in Biofilm, 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, Microbiology Risk, Salmonella

Research – Effects of Selected Essential Oils on Listeria monocytogenes in Biofilms and in a Model Food System

Posted on May 15, 2023 by | Leave a comment

MDPI

Abstract

The composition of 18 essential oils was determined using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry, and their antilisterial activity was evaluated by the disk diffusion method, followed by the determination of the minimum inhibitory and minimum bactericidal concentrations. The most active essential oils were oregano, thyme, cinnamon, winter savory, and clove, with MIC values ranging from 0.09 to 1.78 µL/mL. We investigated the biofilm-forming potential of Listeria monocytogenes on polystyrene at 5 °C, 15 °C, and 37 °C in three different media. The formation of biofilm was found to be dependent on the temperature and the availability of nutrients. After treatment with selected essential oils, the reduction in biofilm biomass was in the range of 32.61% and 78.62%. Micromorphological changes in the L. monocytogenes treated by oregano and thyme essential oils were observed in the form of impaired cell integrity and cell lyses by using scanning electron microscope. Oregano and thyme essential oils (MIC and 2MIC) significantly (p < 0.05) reduced the population of L. monocytogenes in minced pork meat during storage at 4 °C. In conclusion, the obtained results indicated the good activity of some selected essential oils on L. monocytogenes, with bacteriostatic, bactericidal, and antibiofilm effects at very low concentrations.

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Posted in Biofilm, essential oils, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, microbial contamination, Microbial growth, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Microbiology Risk

Research -Climate change and food safety: Temperature impact on the attachment of Escherichia coli pathogroups on cress leaf

Posted on May 14, 2023 by | Leave a comment

Wiley Online

Abstract

Climate change and its worldwide effects are undeniable. Temperature increase due to climate change may affect foodborne pathogen survival on fresh produce. This study aimed to present an evaluation of climate change impact regarding temperature rise situations, on attachment of different pathogenic Escherichia coli strains on cress grown under controlled conditions. EHEC O157:H7, EAEC O104:H4 and EPEC O26 were inoculated with initial inoculum concentration of 8 log MPN/mL at different stages during growth to observe how inoculation time (7, 14, 21 and 28 days post sowing; dps) and route (seed and leaves) affect pathogen load on fresh produce. This study revealed that temperature increase designed according to mitigation scenarios for climate change (+2, +4 and +6 °C) did not cause any considerable change in pathogen persistence on leaf at 30 dps (~4.5 to 7 log MPN/g). In plants contaminated at later stage (21 and 28 dps), higher bacterial populations were obtained for all temperatures studied. Our results show that E. coli translocated towards leaf portions from seed and established significant amount of pathogen load on leaf (~4 to 5.3 log MPN/g). Also, inoculated bacteria have tightly bound to leaf (~3.5 to 7 log MPN/g) and cannot be eliminated by washing. Although persistence of E. coli O157:H7, O104:H4 and O26 did not differ significantly according to temperature, the bacterial load on the leaves was above infectious dose for humans.

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Posted in Climate change, Decontamination Microbial, E.coli O104, E.coli O157, E.coli O157:H7, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, microbial contamination, Microbial growth, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Microbiology Risk, STEC, STEC E.coli

Research – Scientists Discover How Foodborne Vibrio Infects People, Could Lead to New Treatments

Posted on May 12, 2023 by | Leave a comment

Food Safety.Com

Food Illness

Researchers at the University of Texas (UT) Southwestern Medical Center have discovered how foodborne pathogen Vibrio parahaemolyticus infects people after eating raw or undercooked shellfish. The findings could lead to new ways to treat illness caused by the enteric bacteria.

The study provides the first visual evidence of how a gut bacterial pathogen uses an “assembly method” to build syringe-like structures to inject toxins into intestinal cells, giving a new view of how enteric bacteria, when exposed to bile acids, efficiently respond and build a virulence system.

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Posted in Antimicrobials, 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, Microbiology Risk, Vibrio, Vibrio albensis, Vibrio alginolyticus, Vibrio cholera, vibrio cholerae, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Vibrio vulnificans, Vibrio vulnificus