Category Archives: STEC E.coli

Research – Collective food poisoning (TIAC) with E. coli O157 producing Shiga toxins, associated with the consumption of raw cucumbers

Posted on July 13, 2022 by KSW | Leave a comment

On September 9, 2021, the Regional Health Agency (ARS) of Hauts-de-France was informed of a suspicion of collective food poisoning (TIAC) affecting half-board students, educated in several schools in a municipality. of the Lille metropolis.

On September 13, 2021, two cases of haemolytic and uremic syndrome (HUS) were diagnosed in two hospitalized children attending school in this town. Public Health France Hauts-de-France was asked by the Hauts-de-France ARS to provide support for the investigations and management of this TIAC. A total of 35 cases of gastroenteritis, with bloody diarrhea and fever (>38°C) in half of the cases, were identified. Ten cases were hospitalized and two children developed HUS.

The cases identified were half-board students in four school groups (29 cases), a parent of a student and elderly people benefiting from the municipality’s home meal delivery service (5 cases). The case canteens were all supplied by the central municipal kitchen.

The shape of the epidemic curve was in favour of a common and point source of contamination during meals on September 2 or 3, 2021. The case-control survey, carried out in schools, concluded that only the consumption of cucumbers in salad, served with the meal on September 2, was statistically and significantly associated with the occurrence of the disease.

A strain of E. highly pathogenic Shiga toxin-producing (STEC) O157 coli was isolated from the stool cultures of eight cases, including the two children who developed HUS and in the offending cucumber salad. Genomic analysis of the strains confirmed the genetic clustering of clinical and food strains that belonged to the same genomic cluster. The veterinary investigation revealed that a failure in the decontamination process, associated with incomplete peeling of the contaminated cucumbers, contributed to the occurrence of this TIAC.

The cucumbers in question came from Belgium and the Belgian health authorities were informed via the dedicated European alert circuits. No other episodes of clusters of STEC infection related to this TIAC have been reported to the ARS over the period while cucumbers from the same batch had been widely distributed in communities and commercial catering services in the Hauts-de-France region. The food vehicle, incriminated in this TIAC, is part of the plants at risk because of its raw mode of consumption. It is important to remind vulnerable populations and collective catering services that preventing the risk of STEC infection, linked to the consumption of raw vegetables, requires washing, disinfection and peeling.

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Posted in Bacterial Toxin, E.coli O157, E.coli O157:H7, food bourne outbreak, Food Illness, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Toxin, Foodborne Illness, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, HUS, Illness, microbial contamination, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Microbiology Risk, outbreak, Research, STEC, STEC E.coli, Toxin

Research – Effect of citral on the thermal inactivation of Escherichia coli O104:H4 in ground beef

Posted on July 10, 2022 by KSW | Leave a comment

Journal of Food Protection

The objective of the present study was to analyze the combined effect of heat treatment (55 to 62.5 °C) and citral (0 to 3%) on the heat resistance of Escherichia coli O104:H4 inoculated in ground beef. Inoculated meat packages were immersed in a circulating water bath stabilized at 55, 57.5, 60 and 62.5 °C for different times. The surviving microbial cells were counted in tryptic soy agar. A factorial design (4 x 4) was used to analyze the effect and interaction of heat treatment and citral. The results showed that heat and citral promoted E. coli O104:H4 thermal inactivation, suggesting a synergistic effect. At 55 °C, the incorporation of citral at 1, 2 and 3%, decreased D values (control: 42.75 min) by 85, 89, and 91%, respectively ( p < 0.05). Similarly, other evaluated temperatures exhibited a citral concentration-dependent effect ( P < 0.05). In conclusion, the findings could be a valuable tool for the food industry in designing a safe thermal process for inactivating E. coli O104:H4 in ground beef under similar thermal inactivation conditions.

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Posted in Decontamination Microbial, E.coli O104, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, microbial contamination, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Microbiology Risk, Research, STEC, STEC E.coli

Research – Microbiological quality of ready-to-eat salad products collected from retail and catering settings in England during 2020-21

Posted on July 9, 2022 by KSW | Leave a comment

Journal of Food Protection

Salad and other fresh produce were collected in England from retail and catering during 2020-21 and were tested for Salmonella, Shiga-toxin producing Escherichia coli (STEC), Listeria , Bacillus cereus , and generic E. coli. Of the 604 samples collected , 57% were from retail and 43% from catering: 61% were either salad leaves or salad leaves mixed with other products. Equal numbers of samples were prepacked or loose and 50% were refrigerated at the time of sampling. Combining results for all microbiological parameters, 84% were interpreted as satisfactory, 12% as borderline and 4% as unsatisfactory. One sample (prepacked leaves, cucumber and tomato from a caterer) was categorised as unacceptable/potentially injurious due to detection of STEC O76, no STEC from human infections in the UK matched this isolate. No Salmonella enterica were detected but L. monocytogenes was recovered from 11 samples, one at 20 CFU/g the remainder at <20 CFU/g. B. cereus was detected at borderline levels (10 3 – <10 5 CFU/g) in 9% of samples and at an unsatisfactory level (>10 5 CFU/g) in one. E. coli were detected in 3% of samples at borderline (20 – <10 2 CFU/g) and in 4% at unsatisfactory (>10 2 CFU/g) levels. There was a significant association between the detection of L. monocytogenes and borderline/unsatisfactory levels of E. coli . There were no generic risks detected in association with the higher levels of B. cereus, STEC or Listeria but elevated levels of E. coli were predominantly confined to loose products from the UK and collected from caterers in the summer or autumn of 2021. Amongst the L. monocytogenes isolates, only one matched that from human cases and was recovered from a prepacked mixed salad from a catering business in 2021. This isolate was the same strain as that responsible for a multi country outbreak (2015-18) associated with Hungarian-produced frozen sweetcorn: no link to the outbreak food-chain was established.

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Posted in Bacillus cereus, Decontamination Microbial, E.coli, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, microbial contamination, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Microbiology Risk, O76, Research, Salmonella, STEC, STEC E.coli

RASFF Alert – STEC E.coli – Beef

Posted on July 8, 2022 by KSW | Leave a comment

RASFF

STEC in beef from Brazil in Belgium and the Netherlands

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Posted in food contamination, food handler, Food Hazard, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Pathogen, Food Poisoning, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Safety Management, Food Testing, Food Toxin, RASFF, STEC, STEC E.coli

Research – Risk factors of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli in livestock raised on diversified small-scale farms in California

Posted on June 25, 2022 by KSW | Leave a comment

Cambridge Org

Abstract

The increasing number of diversified small-scale farms (DSSF) that raise outdoor-based livestock in the US reflects growing consumer demand for sustainably-produced food. Diversified farms are small-scale and raise a combination of multiple livestock species and numerous produce varieties.

This 2015-2016 cross-sectional study aimed to describe the unique characteristics of DSSF in California, estimate the prevalence of STEC in livestock and evaluate the association between risk factors and the presence of STEC in livestock, using generalized linear mixed models. STEC prevalence was 13.62% (76/558). Significant variables in the mixed effect logistic regression model included daily maximum temperature (OR = 0.95; CI95%: 0.91-0.98), livestock sample source (cattle (OR = 4.61; CI95%: 1.64-12.96) and sheep (OR = 5.29; CI95%: 1.80-15.51)), multiple species sharing the same barn (OR = 6.23; CI95%: 1.84-21.15) and livestock having contact with wild areas (OR = 3.63; CI95%: 1.37-9.62).

Identification of STEC serogroups of public health concern (e.g., O157:H7, O26, O103) in this study indicated the need for mitigation strategies to ensure food safety by evaluating risk factors and management practices that contribute to the spread and prevalence of foodborne pathogens in a pre-harvest environment on DSSF.

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Posted in Decontamination Microbial, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Safety Management, food safety training, microbial contamination, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Microbiology Risk, Research, STEC, STEC E.coli

France – Pure beef minced meat, Limousin breed butcher style 20% – 600G

Posted on June 16, 2022 by KSW | Leave a comment

Gov france

Identification information of the recalled product

Product category Feed
Product subcategory Meats
Product brand name Greedy country
Model names or references Pure beef minced meat, Limousin breed butcher style 20% – 600G
Identification of products

GTIN Lot Date

2006050052554 22130813 Use-by date 02/06/2022
Marketing start/end date From 25/05/2022 to 02/06/2022
Storage temperature Product to be stored in the refrigerator
Health mark FR 87.085.006 CE
Geographic area of sale Whole France
Distributors Aldi

GTIN	Lot	Date
2006050052554	22130813	Use-by date 02/06/2022

Practical information regarding the recall

Reason for recall Possible presence of microorganisms (E. coli STEC)
Risks incurred by the consumer Toxigenic Shiga Escherichia coli (STEC)
Additional description of the risk Escherichia coli O26:H11

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Posted in Bacterial Toxin, E.coli O26, Exotoxin, Food Toxin, Intoxications, Shigatoxin, STEC, STEC E.coli, Toxin

Research – Impact of chlorinated water on pathogen inactivation during wheat tempering and resulting flour quality

Posted on June 14, 2022 by KSW | Leave a comment

Journal of Food Protection

Outbreaks of enteric pathogens linked to wheat flour have led the wheat milling industry to seek solutions addressing this food safety concern. Chlorinated water at 400-700ppm has been used in the flour milling industry as a tempering aid to control growth of yeast and mold in tempering bins. However, the effectiveness of chlorinated water for inactivating enteric pathogens on wheat kernels remained unknown. Five strains of Shiga-toxin producing Escherichia coli (STEC) and two strains of Salmonella were inoculated onto hard red spring wheat at 7 log CFU/g and stored at room temperature for 1-month. Inoculated wheat was tempered with four concentrations (0, 400, 800, 1200ppm) of chlorinated water (pH 6.5). The reduction due to chlorine was determined by calculating change in cell density at each chlorine level using the response at 0ppm as a reference. Uninoculated wheat tempered with chlorinated water was used to measure flour quality parameters. Changes in pathogen density over 18 hours ranged from -2.35 to -0.30 log CFU/g with 800ppm chlorinated water and were not significantly different from changes at 400ppm and 1200ppm. Significant (p< 0.05) differences in the extent of reduction were observed among strains. However, the effect of chlorinated water at reducing native microbes on wheat kernels was minimal, with an average reduction of 0.39 log CFU/g for all concentrations. No significant (p>0.05) changes occurred in flour quality and gluten functionality, or during breadmaking for grains tempered at 400 and 800ppm chlorinated water. There were small but significant (p<0.05) changes in flour protein content, final viscosity, and water absorption when tempered with 1200ppm chlorinated water. The data showed that the level of chlorinated water currently used in industry for tempering could reduce enteric pathogen numbers by 1.22 log CFU/g for STEC and 2.29 log CFU/g for Salmonella, with no significant effects on flour quality and gluten functionality.

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Posted in Decontamination Microbial, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Pathogen, Food Technology, microbial contamination, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, mold, Mould/Mold, pathogenic, Research, Salmonella, STEC, STEC E.coli, Technology, Yeasts

Research – A bacteriological survey of fresh minced beef on sale at retail outlets in Scotland in 2019: three food-borne pathogens, hygiene process indicators and phenotypic antimicrobial resistance.

Posted on June 10, 2022 by KSW | Leave a comment

Journal of Food Protection

The health and economic burden of foodborne illness is high, with approximately 2.4 million cases occurring annually in the United Kingdom. A survey to understand the baseline microbial quality and prevalence of food-related hazards of fresh beef mince on retail sale could inform risk assessment, management and communication to ensure the safety of this commodity. In such a survey, a two-stage sampling design was used to reflect variations in population density and the market share of five categories of retail outlets in Scotland. From January to December 2019, 1009 fresh minced beef samples were collected from 15 Geographic Areas. The microbial quality of each sample was assessed using Aerobic Colony Count (ACC) and generic E. coli count. Samples were cultured for Campylobacter and Salmonella and PCR was used to detect target genes (stx1 all variants, stx2 a-g, and rfbO157) for Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC). The presence of viable E. coli O157 and STEC in samples with a positive PCR signal was confirmed via culture and isolation. Phenotypic antimicrobial sensitivity patterns of cultured pathogens and 100 generic E. coli isolates were determined, mostly via disc diffusion. The median ACC and generic E. coli counts were 6.4 x 105 (Inter-quartile range (IQR):6.9 x 104 to 9.6 x 106) and <10 cfu per gram (IQR:<10 to 10) of minced beef respectively. The prevalence was 0.1% (95% confidence interval C.I. 0 to 0.7%) for Campylobacter, 0.3% (95% C.I. 0 to 1%) for Salmonella, 22% (95% C.I. 20% to 25%) for PCR positive STEC and 4% (95% C.I. 2 to 5%) for culture positive STEC. The evidence for phenotypic antimicrobial resistance (AMR) detected did not give cause for concern, mainly occurring in a few generic E. coli isolates as single non-susceptibilities to first-line active substances. The low prevalence of pathogens and phenotypic AMR is encouraging but ongoing consumer food-safety education is necessary to mitigate the residual public health risk.

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Posted in Campylobacter, Decontamination Microbial, E.coli, E.coli O157, E.coli O157:H7, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, Foodborne Illness, Illness, microbial contamination, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Research, Salmonella, STEC, STEC E.coli, STX 1, STX 2

USA – New E. coli O157:H7 Outbreak Added to FDA CORE Investigation Table

Posted on June 10, 2022 by KSW | Leave a comment

Food Poisoning Bulletin

A new E. coli O157:H7 outbreak has been added to the FDA’s CORE Outbreak Investigation Table. At least 10 people are sick. We do not know the states where the ill persons live, their age range, illness onset dates, or if anyone has been hospitalized. Traceback has been initiated, but no recall has been issued, there has been no on-site inspection or sample collection, and no analysis of any product has started. This new E. coli O157:H7 outbreak is probably associated with an FDA-regulated food.