Passengers and crew aboard Royal Caribbean’s Radiance of the Seas ship were sickened with gastrointestinal illness after a salmonella outbreak.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, 180 of the 2,172 passengers and three of the 894 crew members on the voyage were affected by the illness. Their primary symptoms were diarrhea, abdominal cramps, headache and muscle aches.
Germany has been hit hardest in a multi-country Salmonella outbreak linked to rocket from Italy.
As of late September, there are 98 cases in Germany. The Robert Koch Institut (RKI) believes this number may go up. There are 16 patients in Austria and 23 in Denmark.
The first cases were reported in Germany at the end of July. Since the beginning of August, there has been a significant increase in patients, with 16 to 18 cases per week. All federal states except Bremen and Saarland are affected.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has released a report on its investigation of the Salmonella Enteritidis outbreak in Peaches. The FDA and multiple state and federal partners investigated an outbreak of Salmonella Enteritidis infections that were linked to the consumption of peaches during the summer of 2020. In total, the outbreak caused 101 reported illnesses across 17 states, including 28 hospitalizations. This appears to be the first time a Salmonella outbreak has been linked to peaches.
The FDA conducted this investigation in conjunction with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), state partners, and Canadian public health officials between August and October 2020. The epidemiological and traceback investigation determined that peaches packed or supplied by a large grower/producer were the likely source of the outbreak. The traceback evidence informed and helped to prioritize two subsequent investigations of peach packing/holding operations and peach orchards in Cutler, Kerman, and Sanger, California. The large grower/producer cooperated with FDA throughout the investigation and is continuing to engage with FDA on the agency’s findings and recommendations.
Investigators conducted over 700 tests on environmental, peach, and peach tree leaf samples. While no test results matched the 2020 outbreak strain, four tests conducted on peach and peach tree leaf samples collected from an orchard adjacent to a poultry operation yielded positives for Salmonella Alachua which were further linked via whole genome sequencing (WGS) to 2019 and 2020 chicken isolates. This finding prompted a follow-up investigation more closely focused on growing areas and a voluntary recall by the firm, preventing the tested, contaminated product from reaching the market. During the follow-up investigation, two tests of peach tree leaf samples collected from orchards adjacent to a cattle feedlot yielded positives for Salmonella Montevideo that were genetically similar via WGS to 2018-2020 beef and cattle isolates.
While investigators did not find the outbreak strain, and the strains of Salmonella found during this outbreak were not linked to any clinical illnesses, the investigational findings reinforce the FDA’s concern about the potential impact that adjacent land uses can have on the safety of produce.
The FDA views the implementation of appropriate science- and risk-based measures to reduce the potential for contamination of peaches and other produce as the most effective and practicable means to improve the safety of fresh produce, especially when measures are tailored to the specific practices and conditions on individual farms. The FDA encourages all growers to be cognizant of and assess risks that may be posed by adjacent and nearby land uses, including for the potential impact of dust exposure. The FDA also recognizes the interconnection between people, animals, plants, and their shared environment when it comes to public health outcomes, and we encourage collaboration among various groups in the broader agricultural community (e.g., produce growers, those managing animal operations, state and federal government agencies, and academia) to address this issue.
Almost 550 people were hospitalized in Vietnam earlier this year after a Salmonella outbreak linked to a type of sandwich sold at a bakery.
The outbreak occurred in Dong Nai province in May 2024. The Dong Nai Food Safety Department and the Institute of Public Health in Ho Chi Minh City investigated the incident.
A study published in the Western Pacific Surveillance and Response Journal revealed that 547 cases were recorded from April 30 to May 6. Two people were in severe condition, and a 6-year-old boy died. A total of 284 patients were female and 263 were male. The average age was 35
Shigella outbreaks caused by restaurant employees are not extremely common, but they do occur and can be significant when they happen. Shigella is a highly infectious bacterium, and even a small amount can cause illness. Outbreaks linked to food handlers can happen through the following mechanisms read more at the link above.
Salmonella outbreaks caused by restaurant employees are not extremely common, but they do occur and can be significant when they happen. Several factors contribute to outbreaks linked to restaurant settings see more at the link above.
According to press reports, the St. Clair County Health Department is investigating the cause of a cluster of gastrointestinal illnesses among customers who dined at the LongHorn Steakhouse in Fairview Heights.
The restaurant has voluntarily closed Wednesday and Thursday. Officials determined that some of the illnesses were caused by shigellosis, an infectious disease caused by a group of bacteria called shigella. As of Wednesday afternoon, the department had received 14 reports from people testing positive for shigella. Twelve had dined at the LongHorn Steakhouse at 6115 N. Illinois St. between Sept. 21 and 22. Six cases have required hospitalization, according to the health department.
A major Listeria outbreak in Switzerland has sickened more than 30 since 2022 and seven people have died.
The first case was reported in April 2022, and the outbreak peak occurred in 2023. The last sick person became ill in June 2024.
An article in the Emerging Infectious Diseases journal revealed that the median age of all 34 patients was 79, ranging from less than 1 to 93 years old. Eighteen were female, and 16 were male. The distribution was wide, with patients across different cantons.
Data from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) shows Listeria infections rose slightly in 2023 and seven outbreaks were investigated.
In 2023, 177 listeriosis cases were reported in England and Wales compared to 167 in 2022. This is the highest level since 180 infections were noted in 2016.
For non-pregnancy-associated cases, death was reported for 32 people, of whom 11 had listeriosis recorded as a cause of death on the death certificate.
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