Category Archives: STEC E.coli

Research – Metabolic diversity of the ‘big six’ of E. coli strains

Posted on April 14, 2020 by | Leave a comment

Phys Org

NUS food scientists have discovered that the six major strains of Escherichia coli (E. coli) that cause foodborne illnesses have different metabolisms and tolerance towards acidic conditions.

Pathogenic E. coli are responsible for a number of foodborne disease outbreaks. Among the hundreds of E. coli serogroups (strains), pathogen E. coli O157:H7 is the most widely recognised due to the severity of the  it causes. Apart from E. coli O157, there are another six serogroups that are identified by the United States Food and Drug Administration as emerging pathogens commonly found in foodborne disease outbreaks. These are known as the “big six.” As part of food safety, it is important to be able to characterise these pathogens and understand their behaviour so that proper measures can be developed to keep them at bay.

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Posted in E.coli, E.coli O157:H7, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, microbial contamination, Microbiology, Research, STEC E.coli, Uncategorized

Research – Petition Asks FSIS to Declare 31 Salmonella Strains as Adulterants in Meat and Poultry

Posted on April 9, 2020 by | Leave a comment

Food Safety Magazine

Marler Clark LLP filed a petition on behalf of several individuals and consumer groups on January 18, 2020, asking the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA FSIS) to issue an interpretive rule declaring 31 Salmonella strains as per se adulterants in meat and poultry products. These strains include four antibiotic-resistant serovars—Salmonella enterica Hadar, Heidelberg, Newport, and Typhimurium—as well as Dublin, Enteritidis, and Infantis. In support of its request, the petition relies heavily on its interpretation of precedent established following the 1993 Escherichia coli outbreak, when USDA declared E. coli O157:H7 a per se adulterant in raw ground beef through interpretive rulemaking.

The petition argues that FSIS has the authority to declare the 31 Salmonella serovars per se adulterants through interpretive rulemaking because the proposed rule would meet the criteria set out in Texas Food Industry Ass’n v. Espy, 870 F. Supp. 143, 147-48 (W.D. Tex. 1994). More specifically, the petition argues that because the Federal Meat Inspection Act does not require USDA to engage in substantive rulemaking to determine whether a particular substance is an adulterant, the agency has “the discretion to proceed through case-by-case adjudication and interpretive orders, rather than through the rulemaking process.” Espy, 870 F. Supp. at 147. The petition also argues that the issuance of such a rule would not be arbitrary or capricious or not in accordance with law.

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Posted in E.coli, E.coli O157, E.coli O157:H7, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, microbial contamination, Microbiology, Research, Salmonella, STEC E.coli, Uncategorized

Research – Risk of E. coli in hydroponic and aquaponic systems may be greater than once thought

Posted on April 9, 2020 by | Leave a comment

Phys Org

ecoli

Image CDC

A spate of foodborne illnesses in leafy greens and other produce in recent years has sickened consumers and disrupted growers and supply chains. It’s been thought that hydroponic and aquaponic systems could reduce these issues since there is little opportunity for pathogens like E. coli to contaminate the edible parts of plants.

A Purdue University study, however, has found the presence of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) – the same bacteria that have made consumers of several produce products ill—in hydroponic and aquaponic growing systems. Hye-Ji Kim, an assistant professor of horticulture and the study’s corresponding author, said the findings suggest growers using these systems should be careful in handling and harvesting to avoid contamination.

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Posted in E.coli, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, microbial contamination, Microbiology, Research, STEC, STEC E.coli, Uncategorized

RASFF Alert – STEC E.coli – Frozen Sausages

Posted on April 3, 2020 by | Leave a comment

RASFF-Logo

RASFF – shigatoxin-producing Escherichia coli (stx2+) in and absence of labelling (UBD missing) on frozen sausages from the United Kingdom in Germany

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

Research – Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome

Posted on April 3, 2020 by | Leave a comment

Pediatrics in Review

Thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA) was described by Moschcowitz in 1924, and the term hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) appeared by 1955 to describe a series of patients with small-vessel renal thrombi, thrombocytopenia, and hemolytic anemia. During the 1970s an association was noted between enteric Escherichia coli infections and HUS, and in 1983 the specific trigger of Shiga toxin–producing E coli (STEC) was recognized. This recognition led to classification of HUS as “diarrhea positive” or “diarrhea negative,” although this terminology is no longer popular. Other secondary forms of HUS are known, including HUS associated with invasive pneumococcal infection, human immunodeficiency virus, systemic lupus erythematosus, or uncommon reactions to medications such as cyclosporine. More recently, the term atypical HUS (aHUS) has been used to describe a rare form of HUS occurring in susceptible individuals, most often from defects in regulation of the alternative pathway of complement, whereas typical HUS largely refers to STEC-HUS or pneumococcal HUS.

In patients with bloody diarrhea, it is imperative that front-line providers understand the importance of testing for STEC. In many parts of the world STEC O157:H7 is the most common pathogen leading to HUS, but it certainly is not the only one as many other organisms besides E coli have been causally implicated with HUS. Testing for STEC is evolving quickly. Stool culture, various assays for the Shiga toxin, and most recently DNA testing of stool are all being used, each method with its own strengths and limitations. The most crucial issue is timeliness because the window of opportunity …

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Posted in E.coli, E.coli O157, E.coli O157:H7, Haemolytic Uremic Syndrome, HUS, Shigatoxin, STEC, STEC E.coli, Uncategorized

USA – Chicago Indoor Garden Recall on Products that Include Red Clover Sprouts: E. Coli 0103 Detected in Multi-State E. coli Outbreak

Posted on April 2, 2020 by | Leave a comment

Food Poisoning News

hicago Indoor Garden Recall on Products that Include Red Clover Sprouts: E. Coli 0103 Detected in Multi-State E. coli Outbreak

Chicago Indoor Garden is voluntarily recalling all of their packaged products that include red clover sprouts for the detection of E. coli 0103. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) notified the company, Chicago Indoor Garden, of the E. col 0103 after quality testing procedures. The red clover sprouts products included in the recall are the 4-ounce Red Clover clamshell, boxes of 2-pound Red Clover, the 6-ounce Sprout Salad clamshell, the 4-ounce Mixed Greens clamshell, and the 6-ounce Spring Salad clamshell. All of the recalled items have a “Best by” date of December 1, 2019 through March 12, 2020. These packaged items were distributed throughout the Midwest to Whole Foods, Coosemans Chicago Inc., Battaglia Distributing, and Liver Waters Farms.

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Posted in E.coli, E.coli O103, food contamination, 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 Testing, STEC, STEC E.coli, Uncategorized

USA – Clover Sprouts E. coli O103 Outbreak Updated: 39 Sick, 2 Hospitalized

Posted on March 20, 2020 by | Leave a comment

Food Poisoning Bulletin

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has updated the clover sprouts E. coli O103 outbreak that is associated with Jimmy John’s restaurants and Chicago Indoor Garden raw clover sprouts. Since the last update on February 26, 2020, 25 more patients who live in two states have been identified. Twenty-four of the new patients live in Utah, and Florida has been added to the state count.

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Posted in E.coli, E.coli O103, food contamination, food handler, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, 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 Testing, Food Toxin, outbreak, STEC, STEC E.coli, Uncategorized

RASFF Alert- STEC E.coli – Chilled Boneless Beef VP

Posted on March 20, 2020 by | Leave a comment

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RASFF – shigatoxin-producing Escherichia coli in chilled boneless beef vacuum packed from Argentina in Germany

 

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Posted in E.coli, food contamination, 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 Testing, Food Toxin, RASFF, STEC, STEC E.coli, Uncategorized

Research – Compatibility of commercially produced protective cultures with common cheesemaking cultures and their antagonistic effect on foodborne pathogens

Posted on March 18, 2020 by | Leave a comment

JFP

The documented survival of pathogenic bacteria including Listeria monocytogenes (LM), shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC), and Salmonella during the manufacture and aging of some cheeses highlights the need for additional interventions to enhance food safety. Unfortunately, few interventions are compliant with the Standards of Identity for cheese. Protective bacterial cultures (PC) represent actionable, natural interventions. However, supportive data for commercially produced PCs regarding their efficacy against pathogens and potential antagonism with each other and cheesemaking cultures are scant, thereby impeding their potential use by the cheese industry. The overall objective of this study was to identify commercially produced PCs that exert antimicrobial activity towards pathogens with minimal impact on beneficial cheese microbes. Direct antagonism and agar well diffusion assays were used to determine the impact of 10 commercially produced PCs on the growth of starter cultures and cultures of ripening bacteria and fungi. Deferred antagonism was used to evaluate the potential for antimicrobial effects against LM, STEC, and Salmonella. PCs and starter cultures were co-cultured in UHT milk to determine the effects of co-culture on starter acidification profiles when incubated according to a simulated cheese-making temperature profile (4 h at 35°C followed by 20 h at 20°C). Compatibility assays suggest that PC antagonism is microbe and strain specific. Only one PC negatively impacted the acidification of the starters tested. PC antagonism of ripening bacteria and fungi growth varied but was consistent within species. All PCs displayed deferred inhibition of LM, STEC, and Salmonella growth but to varying degrees. These data identify commercial PCs with potential for the control of pathogens and characterize their compatibility with cheesemaking cultures for future use by cheesemakers and investigations of their efficacy in the production of cheese.

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Posted in Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, microbial contamination, Microbiology, Research, Salmonella, STEC, STEC E.coli, Uncategorized

USA – Outbreak Investigation of E. coli O103: Clover Sprouts (February 2020)

Posted on March 18, 2020 by | Leave a comment

FDA

March 17, 2020

Recommendation

Chicago Indoor Garden is recalling all products containing Red Clover sprouts. FDA is recommending that consumers not eat the following recalled items with “Best By” dates between 12/1/2019 and 3/12/2020 that were distributed to Whole Foods throughout the Midwest, Coosemans Chicago Inc., Battaglia Distributing, and Living Waters Farms:

  • Red Clover 4oz. clamshell
  • Red Clover 2lb. boxes
  • Sprout Salad 6oz. clamshell
  • Mixed Greens 4oz. clamshell
  • Spring Salad 6oz. clamshell
Sample Labels of Chicago Indoor Garden Sprout Products

(PDF: 849 KB)

The FDA’s analysis of a sample of this firm’s product identified the presence of E. coli O103. Whole Genome Sequencing of this bacteria showed that it matches the outbreak strain.

Generally, it is recommended that children, the elderly, pregnant women, and persons with weakened immune systems should avoid eating raw sprouts of any kind.

Background

FDA, along with CDC and state and local partners, are investigating an outbreak of 14 illnesses caused by E. coli O103 in Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Texas and Utah likely linked to clover sprouts.

As the outbreak investigation progresses, the FDA will continue in its traceback investigation to determine where implicated sprouts have been distributed and will continue monitoring for additional illnesses associated with this outbreak.

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Posted in E.coli, E.coli O103, FDA, food contamination, 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 Testing, Food Toxin, STEC, STEC E.coli, Uncategorized