Category Archives: outbreak

Canada – Another Peanut Butter Product Recall

Posted on November 19, 2012 by | Leave a comment

CFIA

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is warning the public not to consume, sell or serve the food product described below because the product may be contaminated with Salmonella.

These recalls are part of an ongoing food safety investigation. This recall of peanut butter products in Canada is related to the expanding peanut butter product recall in the USA by Sunland Inc. due to possible Salmonella Bredeney contamination.

The following product is affected by this alert:

Brand Product Size UPC Lot Code Distribution
Sunland Inc. Organic Dark Chocolate Creamy Peanut Butter 375 g 0 48687 89829 9 100326 QC, possibly national

There have been no illnesses reported in Canada associated with the consumption of these peanut butter products. However, there are confirmed Salmonella Bredeney illnesses in multiple states in the United States.

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Posted in Bacteria, CFIA, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Inspections, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Microbiology, outbreak, Pathogen, Recall, Salmonella

USA – Sunland Peanut Butter – FDA Suggestions the Company Knew About the Salmonella

Posted on November 15, 2012 by | Leave a comment

Huff Post

The food world is still reeling from the salmonella outbreak that sickened at least 41 people across 20 states, which was linked to Sunland peanuts that were sold as peanut butter at Trader Joe’s and several other supermarket chains. Now, information released late last month by the FDA suggests that Sunland knowingly sold potentially contaminated products going back to 2009 [pdf].

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Posted in Bacteria, FDA, Food Inspections, Food Safety, Food Testing, Microbiology, outbreak, Pathogen, Recall, Salmonella

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USA – Shellfish Vibrio Poisoning

Posted on November 12, 2012 by | Leave a comment

Food Poisoning Bulletin Vibrio

The Cape Cod Times is reporting that eight cases of Vibrio food poisoning were reported in Massachusetts this year from oysters. Last summer the state designed new regulations to keep consumers safe from this bacteria, but they failed.  The eight cases were linked to oysters harvested from Wellfleet, Orleans, Edgartown, Duxbury, Kingston, Barnstable, and Dennis.

Vibrio populations double every 15 minutes, so keeping shellfish cool is critical to controlling bacterial growth.  

Vibrio was not seen in Massachusetts oysters until 2011 because the state’s colder water temperatures discouraged the growth of the bacteria. In every month in 2012, the mean air temperatures were higher than average, including the third-warmest April and the warmest August on record. Sea surface temperatures this year were the highest ever in the Northest.

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Posted in Bacteria, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Microbiology, outbreak, Pathogen, Vibrio, Vibrio cholera, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Vibrio vulnificans, Water

UK – London – Norovirus Outbreak

Posted on November 10, 2012 by | Leave a comment

London Evening Standard

A Primrose Hill school was closed today after more than 200 pupils and 15 members of staff were struck down with the contagious Norovirus.

Health inspectors ruled the winter vomiting bug was present at North Bridge House Preparatory School. The building in Gloucester Avenue was being cleansed today amid fears the virus could spread to the school’s other buildings.

In a letter sent to parents, headteacher Brodie Bibby said the school was “afflicted by a particularly unpleasant virus.”

Any children showing signs of sickness were told to be kept at home by parents, she wrote – adding that any children still well enough were invited to attend a planned performance of Swan Lake tomorrow night.

She added that “a specialist team will clean the entire school with anti-viral sprays and use air-based products.”

One parent told a local newspaper that his daughter “suddenly turned white and projectile vomited all over her bedroom” after being struck down with the illness this week.

North Bridge House, which also has a nursery school, a junior and a senior school at different sites in Camden, will reopen on Monday.

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Posted in Eurofins Laboratories, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Testing, Food Virus, Foodborne Illness, Microbiology, Norovirus, outbreak, Pathogen, Virus

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USA – E.coli Outbreak Linked to Unpasteurised Cider

Posted on November 9, 2012 by | Leave a comment

Food Poisoning Bulletin

The Health Department of Northwest Michigan, along with Community Health and the Michigan Departments of Agriculture and Rural Development are investigating a series of E. coli infections that may be associated with unpasteurized, unlabeled apple juice in Antrim County. Officials are collecting stool samples and samples of the cider to test for the outbreak strain of the bacteria.

The cider was made by an unlicensed facility and was not labeled as unpasteurized.

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Posted in Bacteria, E.coli, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Foodborne Illness, Microbiology, outbreak, Pathogen, Recall

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Canada – Montreal – Norovirus Hospital Outbreak

Posted on November 6, 2012 by | Leave a comment

CBC News

An outbreak of norovirus among staff members at Montreal’s Jewish General Hospital led to the temporary closure of the hospital’s neurology clinic last week, CBC has learned.

About 45 employees at the hospital came down with gastrointestinal symptoms, including diarrhea, cramps and fever, after eating food that may have originated in an in-house catering service that is only used by staff.

The service is run by the hospital’s Atrium Café, a franchise operated by a volunteer auxiliary, which also serves hundreds of staff and visitors to the hospital each day.

The coffee shop is independent of the hospital’s main cafeteria.

“We closed the coffee shop immediately on Thursday afternoon,” said hospital spokesman Glenn Nashen. “Tests were done all day Friday, and although nothing has been conclusive at this point, the suspicion is that [the virus] may have come from this catering service.”

Nashen said as far as the hospital knows, only staff at the hospital caught the virus.

So many staff members in the neurology department fell ill that the neurology clinic had to be closed for half a day on Thursday and all of Friday.

The neurology clinic is expected to be open again on Monday.

Until the infection prevention and control team determines the specific cause of the outbreak, the coffee shop will remain closed, Nashen said

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Posted in Eurofins Laboratories, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Testing, Food Virus, Foodborne Illness, Hand Washing, Hygiene, Illness, Microbiology, Norovirus, outbreak, Pathogen

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Research – E.coli Outbreak 2011 in Germany

Posted on October 31, 2012 by | Leave a comment

HACCPEUROPA – Full Article

A novel strain of E. coli bacteria caused a serious outbreak of foodborne illness focused in Germany in 2011. In all, 3,950 people were affected and 53 died, including 51 in Germany. Authorities have identified vegetable sprouts as the source.

The recent outbreaks of food poisoning due to contamination of vegetables by dangerous strains of E. coli raised the concerns and questions about E. coli transmission strategies.

E. coli is most at home in the warm, moist, nutrient-rich environment found in the gastrointestinal tract of warm-blooded animals. But to disperse from one host to another these bacteria must get out into the world. There is evidence that some E. coli can survive for several weeks outside the host, and even grow in water or soil. But it is on plant matter that E. coli colonisation has become a concern, as although most types of E. coli are harmless, the presence of pathogenic strains on fruit and vegetables presents a food safety risk.

E. coli strains have adopted slightly different transmission strategies, with some being better adapted to live on plants than others.

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Posted in Bacteria, E.coli, E.coli O104, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Testing, Foodborne Illness, Microbiology, outbreak, Pathogen, Research

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USA – Petting Zoo – Another E.coli O157 Outbreak

Posted on October 29, 2012 by | Leave a comment

Food Poisoning Bulletin 

An E. coli 0157:H7 outbreak linked to the Willow Grove Gardens Pumpkin Patch and petting zoo has been announced by the Cowlitz County Health & Human Services Department of Washington. Public health officials have confirmed one child is ill with the bacterial infection, and there is one probable case. One of the children was hospitalized for several days but is now recovering. Public health officials are asking that anyone who visited the facility and has symptoms of E. coli food poisoning such as diarrhea, which may be bloody, severe stomach cramps, vomiting, or a mild fever, contact them immediately at 360-414-5599.

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Posted in Bacteria, E.coli, E.coli O157, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Testing, Microbiology, outbreak, Pathogen

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Northern Irelands Biggest Ever E.coli Outbreak.

Posted on October 22, 2012 by | Leave a comment

Food Safety News

At least 269 people are suspected to have fallen ill in an outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 after eating at a restaurant in Belfast, Northern Ireland’s Public Health Agency announced on Sunday. This is by far the largest E. coli outbreak in the nation’s history.

The number ill consist of 90 laboratory-confirmed cases and another 179 probable cases. Probable cases are those with exposure and corresponding symptoms, but who have not been tested for E. coli infection in a clinical laboratory.

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Posted in Bacteria, E.coli, E.coli O157, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Illness, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Foodborne Illness, Hygiene, Illness, Microbiology, outbreak, Pathogen

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Another Fair/Petting Zoo E.coli Issue

Posted on October 21, 2012 by | 1 comment

E.coli BlogPetting Zoo Illness

The Division of Public Health of the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services in collaboration with Local Health Departments is investigating an outbreak of E. coli infection in 106 people who attended the Cleveland County Fair. Preliminary findings suggest animal exposure may be the source of this outbreak.

As of 2 p.m., 64 children* and 42 adults are known to be/have been affected by this outbreak. Twelve individuals* have been or are currently hospitalized. The county case counts are as follows: Cleveland County – 61, Gaston County – 18*, Lincoln County – 14, Catawba County – 1, Mecklenburg – 1, Union County – 3, Rutherford – 4, York County, South Carolina – 2, Cherokee County, South Carolina – 2 *this number includes one death related to the outbreak

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Posted in Bacteria, E.coli, E.coli O157, Hand Washing, Hygiene, Illness, Microbiology, outbreak, Pathogen

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