Category Archives: Parasite

USA – Recall – Cold Smoked Salmon – Listeria monocytogenes

FDAFDA

Ocean Beauty Seafoods LLC is voluntarily recalling 371 cases of ready-to-eat cold smoked salmon products because of possible contamination by Listeria monocytogenes.

The recalled products, “Nathan’s Brand 3oz Cold Smoked Atlantic Salmon” (Product of Chile) and “LASCCO Cold Smoked Nova Atlantic Salmon 4 oz” (Product of Chile) were distributed to various retailers and distribution centers in WA, OR, CA, AZ, TX, CO, MA, NH, CT, RI, NJ, and NY from 11/20/2012 through 12/12/2012.

Potentially affected product is limited to packages bearing the following codes:

BRAND ITEM UPC PACK CODE VOLUME
Lascco 4 oz Nova Salmon 0 72840 01751 7 285 96 cases
Nathan’s 3oz Nova Salmon 0 73030 80368 2 285 275 cases

Ocean Beauty Seafoods has notified the retailers and distributors who may have received the affected product listed above, and is taking this action as a precautionary measure in cooperation with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. No other Ocean Beauty products are included in this action. There have been no complaints or illnesses reported in association with this recall.

The potential for contamination was noted after internal testing by the company revealed the presence of Listeria monocytogenes in samples of the specific code dates identified above.  Nathan’s and Lascco brand products that do not have the specific package code identified above are not affected.

Consumers can identify if they have purchased an impacted product by looking at the package code date located in the back, top left corner of the package. Consumers who have affected product with the package codes identified above should not eat the product. Consumers should discard any open packages of affected product and should return unopened packages to the place of purchase for a refund.

UK/Germany/Netherlands – Increase in Cryptosporidium Notifications in 2012

ECDC

An increase in Cryptodsporidim notifications has been observed in the UK, Netherlands and Germany since August 2012 that is likely to be real and not due to surveillance or notifcations artifacts.

The available information from investigations in the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Germany indicates that there is not a single, common source, but rather a combination of several causes. These may include climatic drivers, such as the increased rainfall in the summer of 2012 in these countries or a widely distributed commonly consumed product. There is however no evidence for it at this stage and further investigations are ongoing.

 The overall threat for the European Union/European Economic Area (EU/EEA) is considered to be low.

 EU/EEA Member States should be alert to an increase in cases as observed in the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Germany, particularly in relation to immunocompromised and other at-risk groups as they may present with a more severe manifestation of cryptosporidiosis.

 

USA – Norovirus Outbreak at a Restaurant

Food Safety News 

At least 39 people fell ill with Norovirus infections after eating at a restaurant in central Illinois last week, according to the local health department.

All of those sickened were among a group of 80 people who attended an end-of-year banquet for a high school soccer team at Alexander’s Steakhouse in Peoria, IL October 28, reported the Peoria Journal Star.

Though the restaurant served a total of 1,100 meals the weekend the banquet was held, no patrons other than those who attended the banquet contracted the virus.

Victims experienced typical symptoms of Norovirus infection, including vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal cramps.

61 Now Ill in North Carolina E. coli Outbreak

Food Safety News

The deadly E. coli outbreak linked to the Cleveland County Fair in North Carolina grew to 61 cases by Wednesday. At least 10 people have been hospitalized.

This latest figures comes less than a week after 2-year-old Gage Lefever died from his infection last Friday. His funeral services were held on Wednesday afternoon.

FSN Link

 

US – Vibrio Outbreak – Raw Undercooked Shellfish

Food Poisoning Bulletin 

The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) has announced there is an outbreak of Vibriosis in eastern Missouri. The illnesses are caused by Vibrio parahaemolyticus, which is usually associated with eating raw or undercooked shellfish, particularly oysters.

Three cases of the illnesses have been identified June 27 and 28, 2012. Risk factors for acquiring this disease include eating raw or undercooked oysters, clams, mussels, or crabs; or cross-contamination of other foods or surfaces with raw seafood. The bacteria lives in brackish water and grows easily in warm water during the summer months.

 

RASFF Alerts – Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella, Parasites

RASFF – Parasitic Infestation in fresh Hake in Italy sourced in Denmark

RASFF – Salmonella in rape meal in Finland sourced in Germany

France– Listeria in cheese Neufchatel society Chevalier, marketed in the departments 27, 60, 62, 76 and 80.

Chevallier society shall withdraw from the sale of cheese “Neufchatel” following the detection of the presence of Listeria monocytogenes .

Cryptosporidium Cases – USA

WKTV.COM

The Oneida County Department of Health has announced that there have been six confirmed cases of Cryptosporidium and that the Oneida County Health Department is currently investigating the origin of the outbreak.

Officials are looking into the possibility of the outbreak stemming from the recent Farmfest event, but caution that no direct causal link has yet been determined.

Cryptosporidium is a microscopic parasite that causes the intestinal illness and that it is usually a self-limiting illness with watery diarrhoea as the most common symptom. Average incubation is one to 12 days.

Organic Meats Increased Toxoplasmosis Risk?

Food Poisoning Bulletin 

A study published in the May 22, 2012 issue of Clinical Infectious Diseaseshas found that organic meats may have increased toxoplasmosis risk.

Toxoplasmosis gondii is a single-celled parasite that used to be a significant problem in pork. The definitive host for the parasite is cats. When pigs were allowed to forage for food, they often ate food contaminated with infected cat feces, or ate wild animals and birds that contained the oocysts. That’s why your grandmother used to cook pork well done to 160 degrees F, because that destroyed the parasite in all of its forms.

When pork farmers changed the methods of hog raising to eliminate foraging and fed the animals processed food, the risk of toxoplasmosis fell considerably. But the current trend toward free-range food animals, especially pigs and lamb, has increased the toxoplasmosis risk, since those animals are foraging for food. Wild game, such as venison, is also a a source of the toxoplasmosis parasite.

Wales – More Cryptosporidum Cases on Farm

ITV News

Four more people have been diagnosed with cryptosporidiosis linked to the outbreak at Greenmeadow Community farm in Cwmbran.

It brings the total number of cases to eight. All were either members of staff or volunteers who bottle fed unwell animals. The animals have now been removed from the farm.

Public Health Wales say extra control measures are in place to ensure that risks to farm visitors and staff are kept to a minimum.

Anyone who is unwell with gastrointestinal symptoms is advised to contact their GP or NHS Direct on 0845 46 47.

UK and US Cryptosporidium Outbreaks

Health in Wales

Public Health Wales and Torfaen County Borough Council with the Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency are investigating an outbreak of cryptosporidium associated with a farm in Cwmbran. Four people who have worked at Greenmeadow Community Farm have tested positive for cryptosporidium, and a further 13 possible cases in staff and volunteers are under investigation.
 
The one adult and three teenagers who have tested positive had all bottle fed lambs and kid goats that had diarrhoea. There have been no reported cases of illness among members of the general public who visited the farm.
 
Dr Lika Nehaul, Consultant in Communicable Disease Control for Public Health Wales, said: “Cryptosporidium is a disease that is very common in young farm animals and can easily be passed to people who come into contact with those animals.
 
“It causes watery diarrhoea, stomach pain, nausea and vomiting, and can last for up to a month.  Healthy people will usually make a full recovery. “Everyone who has been unwell had direct contact with the bottle fed lambs and kid goats at Greenmeadow Community Farm. As part of our investigations, we are checking on all those whom we believe had contact with these animals. We are not aware of cases of illness in any visitors to the farm who did not feed these animals. However, as a precaution, the affected animals have been removed from the farm.
 
 
There has been an outbreak of Cryptosporidiumat two Minnesota water parks. This parasite causes a gastrointestinal diseasewith diarrhea. While most people recover in a couple of weeks, some people can develop life-threatening complications.Children, the elderly, those with compromised immune systems, and anyone with a chronic illness are most susceptible to complications. The parasite’s oocysts can resist many different disinfectants. Transmission is from faecal contamination in the water; swimmers swallow water that contains the parasite.