Category Archives: outbreak

USA – Texas – Shigella and Botulism Outbreaks

Shigella BlogShigella_stool

Shigella outbreak continues to hit Grayson County hard. Health Department officials say new cases are being reported every day.

News 12 last reported there were 36 cases just before Thanksgiving. But, in just 13 days that number has jumped to 61 confirmed cases in Grayson County.

A command center has been set up at the Health Department, where they say employees are working to stop Shigella from spreading.

Botulism Blog

On Friday, the Health Department was informed of the first potential case here in Amarillo. They soon began investigating and discovered three other possible cases.

Two of the patients matched the criteria and were given the antitoxin. Doctors say they are slowly improving.

All four patients are adults and are currently hospitalized.

“We’ve got a small group of people who know each other in some manner, we hope that there are no other cases, but we just want to do our due diligence and make sure that we are protecting our community by providing information,” Casie Stoughton who is the Assistant Director of the City of Amarillo Public Health Department.

USA – CDC – Solve the Outbreak App!

solveoutbreak_cdc_200x200-v2CDC

Are you ready to work your way closer to becoming a Disease Detective? CDC has released an update to Solve the Outbreak, the popular, free iPad app that puts you in the shoes of a member of the Epidemic Intelligence Service. The app now has twice as many outbreaks as before, giving you double the opportunity to have fun.

The immensely popular app has had fans clamoring for more. So if you’ve been stuck as an Apprentice, now’s your chance to work your way through the new outbreaks to earn more badges!

New Features

New, exciting features such as:

  • sound effects,
  • new levels, and
  • achievements.

Work hard to earn an achievement such as Clever Clogs and Smarty Pants; but beware of the Grim Reaper and Underachiever if you fail to Solve the Outbreak.

USA – Vibrio Outbreak Raw Oysters

Food Poisoning BulletinVibrio

Vibrio outbreak associated with eating raw oysters and raw clams has sickened at least 104 people in 13 states over the last six months, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Six people have been hospitalized.

Public health investigators have traced the source of some of these illnesses to shellfish harvest areas in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, and Virginia. Massachusetts issued a recall of oysters,  Connecticut issued a recall of oysters and clams. Implicated harvest areas in Virginia were closed in July and remain closed.  In Massachusetts, they were closed in August and remain closed. In New York they were closed in June and reopened in mid-September. In Connecticut, they were closed in August and reopened in mid-September.

Australia – 55 Sick Norovirus Outbreak

Consumer Food Safetynorovirus-2(1)

At least 55 children and their teachers became violently ill with nausea, vomiting, dehydration and diarrhea during a three-day stay at the Borambola Sport and Recreation Centre in New South Wales, Australia.

Eleven ambulances from across the region and medical staff from Wagga Base Hospital were called to the center.

Initially the number of those affected was only small, but it quickly became apparent it was highly contagious with about 55 falling ill over the course of just a few hours.

Italy – E.coli STEC Outbreak 22 Children Sick

Consumer Food Safety

Twenty-two pre-school children have developed symptoms of shiga-toxin producing E. coli, with 12 confirmed and three hospitalized with hemolytic uremic syndrome.

As for the child discharged yesterday, he went back home with family in the

As yet, there is no word on the source of the outbreak.

UK – Salmonella Outbreak at a Nursery Source Unknown

thetele.co.ukSalmonella

An NHS investigation has failed to find the source of a salmonella outbreak that hit Dundee toddlers.

Eight youngsters from the city’s Technotots nursery were struck down with salmonella, with NHS Tayside’s health protection team and city council environmental health officers launching a “wide-ranging” investigation.

However, they were unable to confirm where the Brunel Road nursery’s outbreak stemmed from.

USA – E.coli O157 Report Released 94 Sickened

E.coli BlogEcoli Istock

The Maricopa County Department of Public Health (MCDPH)’s report of its investigation of an Escherichia coli O157:H7 outbreak in which 94 ill persons were identified was released today.

USA – Shigella Outbreak –

Shigella BlogShigella_stool

There is a regional outbreak of shigella related illnesses throughout Stanly, Cabarrus, Rowan, Union, and Mecklenburg counties.  Cabarrus County has over 40 lab confirmed cases reported which is the highest number of reported cases in all these counties,” said Cindy Russell, Stanly County Health Department communicable disease nurse.

“We want to call your attention to this outbreak as many Stanly County residents participate in activities that cross county lines. As of this week, Stanly County has had two reported cases of shigella and one probable case.”

Shigella is a highly infectious disease. Most of those that are infected with shigella develop watery stools, fever and stomach cramps starting a day or two after they are exposed to the bacteria, according to the health department. The watery stools are often bloody. Shigellosis usually resolves in five to seven days.

UK News Items – Unpaid Work – Hairy Bikers – Undercooking Meat

Consumer Food Safety

The boss of the Ocean Grill in Alexandra Parade, Servet Cicek, UK, has been ordered to do 250 hours of unpaid work after he admitted 10 food safety offences at North Somerset Magistrates Court.

He was also given a 12 month community, six-month curfew and told to pay costs of £2,658.92.

Council food safety officers made an unannounced inspection of the takeaway last December, the court heard, finding a build-up of dirt, grease and food throughout the premises.

Raw meats were stored next to and on top of salads and cans of drinks, allowing bacteria and blood to contaminate the food.

Consumer Food Safety

A south Indian restaurant has been closed until further notice until tests confirm the source of an outbreak which has claimed 19 victims in total.

The restaurant, in Leicester, has received five-star ratings in its last three council inspections – the most recent of which was just last month. It has also won awards for its service and standards and has featured on Hairy Bikers’ Best Of British BBC2 show.

Consumer Food Safety

The UK Food Standards Agency says the undercooking of meat products, such as burgers and sausages, continues to be a significant concern, particularly for enforcement officers responsible for assessing the safety of practices used by food businesses. 

Meat products, such as burgers, have been associated with food poisoning and they can pose a risk of illness because of the way they are prepared if they are then undercooked. For example, with whole pieces of meat, bacterial contamination is usually present on the outer surfaces. Internal (deep muscle) contamination is unlikely unless the meat has been pierced. External contamination can become spread throughout the meat during mincing, such as in the preparation of burgers, kebabs, sausages and other products.

There are indications that consumers and caterers are showing a preference for serving burgers undercooked and in a variety of settings. Local authority enforcement officers are concerned about the risk posed by such practices. A number of bacterial hazards may be associated with meat of which verocytotoxin-producing E.coli and salmonella are considered to be the most important.

 

USA – FDA Recall – Listeria monocytogenes – Apple Slices

FDAEurofins Food Testing UK

Crunch Pak® of Cashmere, Washington is voluntarily recalling 5,471 cases of
Crunch Pak® Apple Slices due to a possible health risk from Listeria
monocytogenes
.

No illnesses have been reported in association with this recall to date. No other Crunch Pak® products are affected by this recall. FDA is aware that the company is undertaking this voluntary action.

Listeria monocytogenes is an organism that can cause serious
and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and
others with weakened immune systems. Although healthy individuals may suffer only short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea, Listeria infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women.

The company sold the recalled product to retail customers and because, in some cases, the recalled product was shipped to regional distribution centers, Crunch Pak is taking the extra precautionary measure of issuing this recall nationwide to assure that consumers who may have purchased the product are properly alerted.