Category Archives: outbreak

USA – Waterborne Disease Outbreak Investigation Toolkit

Posted on March 10, 2021 by | Leave a comment

CDC

The Waterborne Disease Outbreak Investigation Toolkit is a guide to assist state and local health departments in conducting waterborne disease outbreak investigations. CDC developed this toolkit to help partners address the unique challenges they face when investigating waterborne disease outbreaks. Because of the numerous ways in which water impacts every person’s daily lives, timely detection, response, and control of these outbreaks is crucial to protect public health.

Using experiences of epidemiologists at the state and local levels, this toolkit describes best practices in preparing for, identifying, and remediating a waterborne disease outbreak.

For outbreaks related to recreational water, visit CDC’s Recreational Water Illness Outbreak Response Tools page.

CDC is available to assist local, state, territorial, and tribal health departments—as well other countries’ ministries of health—with investigating and controlling waterborne disease outbreaks.

PDF cover image for the Waterborne Disease Outbreak Investigation Toolkit

Download the Waterborne Disease Outbreak Investigation Toolkit. pdf icon[PDF – 36 pages]

What’s Included?

How to Use the Toolkit

All of the toolkit content can be found by navigating through this website. It is also available as a PDF document pdf icon[PDF – 36 pages].

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Posted in CDC, Contaminated water, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, microbial contamination, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, outbreak, Water, water microbiology, Water Safety

France – Collective food poisoning suspected to be linked to the consumption of oysters contaminated by Norovirus

Posted on March 8, 2021 by | 1 comment

Sante Publique

Several collective food poisoning infections possibly linked to the consumption of contaminated oysters have been reported since mid-February 2021 in several regions of France.

Since mid-February 2021, 46 mandatory declarations (DO) of collective food poisoning (TIAC) ​​suspected of being linked to the consumption of oysters have been sent to Public Health France and / or to the General Directorate of food . 

The meal dates at the origin of these toxi-infections are between 02/11/2021 and 02/25/2021 with a majority of meals reported on 02/14 (21 TIAC, 46%). All these TIACs took place in the context of a family meal with between 2 and 8 patients. A total of 164 patients were recorded and two people were hospitalized. 

Several departments affected, in particular the West region

These TIACs mainly took place in New Aquitaine (23 in the department 33, 7 in the 17, 4 in the 40 and 2 in the 64), 5 in Pays de la Loire, 3 in Occitanie, 1 in Brittany and 1 in Bourgogne-Franche-Comté. For 36 of these TIACs, the origin of the oysters is known: Arcachon basin for 24 TIAC, Hossegor lake for 5, Marennes d’Oléron for 6 and Baie de Plouharnel for 1. 

The investigations carried out

Stool analyzes carried out by the National Reference Center for Gastroenteritis Viruses in patients following 2 TIACs confirmed the presence of norovirus.

Shellfish collected from individuals who were sick after consuming oysters as well as from suppliers were analyzed by reference laboratories and laboratories approved by the Ministry of Agriculture and Food: noroviruses were identified . Noroviruses have also been detected in several production areas of consumed oysters.

The contamination of shellfish by norovirus for other TIACs is also suspected in view of the symptoms of sick people, mainly diarrhea and vomiting, and the incubation times between the consumption of shellfish and the onset of symptoms found during investigations of patients. TIAC. The torrential rains observed at the beginning of February may have favored the contamination of the environment / production areas and therefore of shellfish.

Actions taken since case detection

Four areas are currently closed by prefectural decrees temporarily prohibiting fishing, collection, transport, purification, shipping, storage, distribution, marketing and release for human consumption. shellfish following the discovery of the contamination of shellfish by noroviruses: the Arcachon basin (Gironde) since 02/18/2021, Hossegor lake (Landes) since 03/02/2021, the Chenaux du Payré (Vendée) since 25/02 and the bay of Plouharnel (Morbihan) since 03/03/2021.

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Posted in food bourne outbreak, food contamination, Food Hazard, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Pathogen, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Food Virus, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Norovirus, outbreak, Virus

USA – El Abuelito Listeria Pregnancy Related Illnesses Added to Outbreak Total

Posted on March 5, 2021 by | Leave a comment

Food Poisoning Bulletin

Two El Abuelito Listeria pregnancy related illnesses were added to the listeriosis soft cheese outbreak total last week by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). That company’s queso fresco cheese was recalled earlier this month because lab tests conducted by the Connecticut Department of Health found the outbreak strain of Listeria monocytogenes in one sample of the product. Also last week, two more types of El Abuelito cheese were recalled: Quesillo (Oaxaca and string cheese) and Requeson (ricotta).

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Posted in food bourne outbreak, food contamination, food death, Food Hazard, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Pathogen, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, outbreak

Taiwan – CDC issues Norovirus warning after Taiwan sees surge in cases

Posted on March 4, 2021 by | Leave a comment

Taiwan News

Food Borne Illness - Norovirus -CDC Photo

The health authorities are sounding the alarm over norovirus-induced gastroenteritis, with cases soaring over the past week.

Taiwan recorded over 138,000 cases of diarrhea between Feb. 21 and 27, reflecting an uptick in stomach illnesses following the Lunar New Year. Over the past four weeks, 87 diarrhea clusters have been reported nationwide, and 97 percent of the 58 cases where pathogens were identified pointed to norovirus as the culprit, according to the Taiwan Centers for Disease Control (CDC).

Members of the public are urged to improve their hygiene, as the virus is transmitted via the fecal-oral route, which involves contaminated food or water or contact with infected persons.

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Posted in food bourne outbreak, food contamination, Food Hazard, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Pathogen, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Food Virus, Foodborne Illness, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Illness, Norovirus, outbreak, Virus, Water, water microbiology, Water Safety

USA – Outbreak Investigation of Listeria monocytogenes – Hispanic-style Fresh and Soft Cheeses (February 2021) – Update

Posted on March 2, 2021 by | Leave a comment

FDA

Case Counts

Total Illnesses: 11
Hospitalizations: 10
Deaths: 1
Last Illness Date: 2/14/2021
States with Cases: CT (1), MD (4), NY (4), and VA (2)
Product Distribution*: CT, GA, IL, IN, MA, MD, NC, NJ, NY, PA, VA
*States with confirmed distribution; product could have been distributed further

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Posted in food bourne outbreak, food contamination, food death, Food Hazard, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Pathogen, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, outbreak

South Africa – Tiger Brands outbreak killed young mother, leaving her twin sisters to raise her daughter – Listeria monocytogenes

Posted on March 1, 2021 by | Leave a comment

Food Safety News

South African Nthabiseng Zaza liked traveling and gospel music. She liked shoes, especially designer brands like Michael Kors. “She was the life of the party,” Matlhogonolo said, Nthabiseng’s 26-year-old sister.

Nthabiseng was a person who loved family above all else. She always wanted to have kids and was blessed with a daughter, Onthathile, who turns 5 this month. Matlhogonolo Chantell and her twin sister Michell Masego Zaza are raising their sister’s daughter.

Onthathile doesn’t remember much of her mother, who at the age of 35 died from listeriosis in Oct. 2018. Her death was part of a Listeria outbreak in South Africa that was traced to Tiger Brand’s polony — processed deli meat similar to baloney.

However, it wasn’t until 2020 that the family found out what had caused their Nthabiseng’s mysterious illness. They knew only that many people in the country were getting sick.

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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, Foodborne Illness, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Illness, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, listeriosis, microbial contamination, Microbiology, outbreak, Research, south africa

USA – Fast-Food Chain Is Linked to 40 Cases of Food Poisoning

Posted on March 1, 2021 by | Leave a comment

Yahoo News

Forty people have reported illnesses after eating at an Arby’s in Springfield, Ill. since Feb. 15, the Sangamon County Department of Public Health confirmed to two local news stations, NewsChannel 20 and WAND 17.

Officials first visited the Arby’s restaurant on Feb. 23 after calls were made to the health department. They then returned on Feb. 24 as the store was closed for deep cleaning. They also visited again the next day, still finding issues, but are still unable to pinpoint the exact cause of the food poisonings.

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Posted in food bourne outbreak, food contamination, food handler, Food Hazard, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Pathogen, Food Poisoning, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, outbreak, Poisoning

Sweden – National outbreak with Salmonella Enteritidis identified.

Posted on March 1, 2021 by | Leave a comment

Folkhalsomyndigheten

Salm2

Twelve cases of Salmonella Enteritidis disease have been linked using whole genome sequencing (analysis of the bacterium’s genome). Eight of the twelve patients are children under the age of ten and the cases are resident in ten different regions. All cases except one have fallen ill on January 20 or later (figure). There are as many women / girls as men / boys who have fallen ill.

The affected infection control units and the Swedish Public Health Agency are jointly investigating the outbreak to identify the source of the infection.

Figure. Disease curve for outbreak cases with Salmonella Enteritidis (n = 12), 2021-02-23.

Diagram showing the disease curve for the outbreak cases with Salmonella Enteritidis (n = 12), 2021-02-23. The figure shows that eleven of the cases fell ill during week three or later.

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Posted in food bourne outbreak, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Testing, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, microbial contamination, Microbiology, outbreak, Salmonella

Research – Outbreak of ceftriaxone-resistant Salmonella enterica serotype Typhi attributed to eating chicken at hotel X, Tiruchirappalli, India, 2018

Posted on February 27, 2021 by | Leave a comment

IJID Online

Background: Third-generation cephalosporin is widely used for typhoid treatment. In May 2018, India’s National Centre for Disease Control based Antimicrobial resistance surveillance network notified through Tamil Nadu State Surveillance Unit about clustering of ceftriaxone-resistant Salmonella enterica serotype Typhi cases in Tiruchirappalli city, Central Tamil Nadu. Team led by State public health department investigated to identify risk factors.

Conclusion: The cluster of ceftriaxone-resistant Salmonella Typhi was due to eating chicken gravy at hotel X in central Tamil Nadu. We recommended proper processing of chicken and continuing surveillance for ceftriaxone-resistant.

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Posted in antimicrobial resistance, Antimicrobials, food bourne outbreak, food contamination, Food Hazard, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Pathogen, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, outbreak, Salmonella

Austria – Investigators still looking for source of outbreak of E. coli infections in Austria

Posted on February 26, 2021 by | Leave a comment

Food Safety News

Austrian authorities are investigating an outbreak of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) infections that has affected a handful of people.

Between September and December 2020, six people fell ill with infections from E. coli O146:H28. Those sick live in five federal states. Two people needed hospital treatment.

As yet, there is no indication as to the source of the outbreak, according to the Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety (AGES). It is understood other countries in Europe have not reported related infections.

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Posted in food bourne outbreak, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Testing, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, microbial contamination, Microbiology, outbreak, STEC, STEC E.coli