EDMONTON – Health officials in southwestern Alberta are dealing with an acute outbreak of salmonella. Officials in Lethbridge say there are more than 30 cases, mostly in rural areas. Many of the infections are secondary ones, meaning it is being spread by household contact. Symptoms include nausea and vomiting and residents are warned that the most serious complication is dehydration.
Welcome to outbreakdatabase.com, a searchable database of illness outbreaks caused by one or more of the following
The database describes outbreaks occurring since 1984.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) defines an outbreak as “two or more ill persons linked to a common source” and this serves as the basis of outbreakdatabase.com. To be included in outbreakdatabase.com, the outbreak must have supporting documentation from public health agencies, journal articles, media reports, etc. Names of stores, brands, restaurants, or other sources are listed if they have been publicly identified previously.
The database is a work in progress. It will continually be updated and revised. Significant effort has been made to ensure the data are accurate. We welcome contributions, corrections, comments, etc. Please use the contact form for comments.
Figures from the Health Protection Agency (HPA) show that there were 337 confirmed laboratory reports of norovirus in the week ending December 9 2012 and 236 for the week ending 2 December 2012. The latest weekly report is now published.
In this season to date there have been 3,046 confirmed laboratory reports of norovirus. This is 83 per cent higher than the same period in the last season when there were 1,669 cases reported.
The figures for the number of hospital outbreaks show that there were 61 hospital outbreaks during the last two weeks up to December 16 2012. In the same fortnight in the previous year there were 35 outbreaks reported by the same time.
The data show that the increase in norovirus laboratory reports is earlier this season than in previous years; however, there are no indications as to why this is the case.
BBC – Schools Norovirus
BBC – Hospital Norovirus
BBC – Hospital Norovirus
Guardian – Norovirus
Posted in Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Standards Agency, Food Testing, Food Virus, Foodborne Illness, Hepatitis A, Hygiene, Illness, Microbiology, Norovirus, outbreak, Pathogen, Virus
Tagged health protection agency, laboratory reports, norovirus, science, week ending december
ABC News
More than 200 people are being treated for food poisoning in Chile after eating hot dogs during an outing at a park.
Local media in the South American nation say the adults and children ate spoiled sausages or bad mayonnaise during the affair organized by a family benefit fund.
It was held at a park in San Jose de Maipo. That’s a town about 30 miles (48 kilometers) south-east of the capital of Santiago.
The sick are being treated at local hospitals. Some children have been released but others are being held for observation.
Posted in Bacteria, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Testing, Foodborne Illness, Hygiene, Illness, Microbiology, outbreak, Pathogen
CASPER, Wyo. — The Golden Corral restaurant in east Casper is closed until at least dinnertime Friday after a suspected foodborne virus outbreak at the location affected more than 150 people, according to David Giesen, president of franchisee Golden DBL Inc. of Denver.
The restaurant was closed Thursday afternoon. Giesen said the shutdown is voluntary while staff members clean and disinfect the restaurant and the Natrona County Health Department continues its investigation.
Natrona County Health Department Director Bob Harrington said Thursday that 167 people have reported being ill after eating at the restaurant this past week.
At least 170 people have become ill after having been at a Christmas party at Klækken hotels on Ringerike the weekend. Possible virus.
Noroviruses are responsible for more than half of all reported outbreaks of gastroenteritis (vomiting, diarrhea, and stomach cramping caused by inflammation of the stomach and intestines). While the vast majority of norovirus illnesses are not part of a recognized cluster, outbreaks provide important information on how the virus spreads and, therefore, how best to prevent infection.
Norovirus outbreaks occur throughout the year. But, over 80% of the outbreaks occur from November to April. Also, when there are new strains of norovirus, the number of outbreaks tends to increase periodically. This occurred in the winter of 2006 to 2007 with the Minerva strain. However, a new strain that appeared in 2009 (New Orleans) did not lead to more outbreaks.
Most outbreaks are caused when norovirus is spread from infected people to others. But, the virus can also spread by consuming contaminated food or water and touching things that have the virus on them. People can get norovirus illness many times during their lifetime. Outbreaks can affect people of all ages and in a variety of settings.
A dream Christmas cruise has turned into the holiday from hell, according to passengers who claim as many as 400 travellers have been struck down with the norovirus winter vomiting bug.
One traveller aboard the P&O liner Oriana, which is on a 10-night Baltic cruise out of Southampton visiting Christmas markets, said people felt like they were sailing on a “plague ship”.
The diarrhoea and vomiting bug norovirus has spread to five hospitals across north Wales, with 31 patients falling ill, a health board says.
Visitors are being urged to help stop the infection at Ysbyty Gwynedd, along with Dolgellau, Colwyn Bay, Glan Clwyd and Wrexham Maelor hospitals.
Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board says there are restrictions on admissions at eight wards.
The number of norovirus infections in the UK is at higher levels than normal.
BBC News
Prison hooch, or homemade alcohol, is the likely source of a botulism outbreak at an Arizona prison that sent seven inmates to intensive care. The seven inmates, all from Special Management Unit 1 of the Arizona State Prison Complex Eyman in Florence, were hospitalized over the weekend.
Botulism is not spread through person-to-person contact. Although it can develop in contaminated wounds or through IV drug use, it most often develops after eating or drinking food that is tainted with the toxin. Botulism poisoning must be treated with a course of special anti-toxin, the stockpile of which is controlled by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC
BOARDING of the mega liner Voyager of the Seas was thrown into chaos yesterday following an outbreak of a gastrointestinal illness thought to be norovirus.
Some 135 passengers already aboard the ship, which arrived from New Zealand on Thursday, were struck by the illness, along with eight staff, a spokeswoman confirmed, adding this was about 4 per cent of the ship’s guests.
“Those affected by the short-lived illness have responded well to over the counter medication administered on board the ship”‘ Royal Carribbean said in a statement late yesterday.
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) is warning consumers not to eat certain peanut butter and peanut-based products which have been imported from the US because of possible contamination with salmonella. Salmonella is a bacterium that causes food poisoning. The Agency has issued a Food Alert for Action.
An outbreak of a strain of salmonella called Salmonella Bredeney in the US has been linked to peanut butter produced by a company called Sunland Inc. As a result, the manufacturer is recalling a wide range of peanut butter and peanut-based products. Other products containing nuts and seeds are also being recalled.
Posted in Bacteria, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Standards Agency, Food Testing, Foodborne Illness, Hygiene, Illness, Microbiology, outbreak, Pathogen, Recall, Salmonella
Tagged food, food alert, food standards agency, nuts and seeds, sunland inc
A total of 28 persons infected with the outbreak strain of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coliO157:H7 (STEC O157:H7) have been reported from five states, with most cases in New York.
42% of ill persons have been hospitalized. Two ill persons have developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a type of kidney failure, and no deaths have been reported.
The outbreak was initially in New York. More recently, more ill persons in other states have been reported, and the investigation has expanded.
Posted in Bacteria, CDC, E.coli, E.coli O157, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Safety, Food Testing, Foodborne Illness, Hygiene, Illness, Methods, Microbiology, outbreak, Pathogen, Recall
Tagged climate, hemolytic uremic syndrome, ill persons, kidney failure, research, science
FoodWorld 