Category Archives: STEC

Research – Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) data: 2019

Posted on April 27, 2022 by | Leave a comment

UKSHA

Main points for 2019

The main points of the 2019 report are:

1. A total of 539 confirmed cases of Shiga toxin-producing Echerichia coli (STEC) O157 were reported in England and Wales in 2019.

2. The lowest incidence of STEC O157 was in the East Midlands region (0.56 per 100,000 population) and the highest in the Yorkshire and Humber region (1.51 per 100,000 population).

3. Children aged 1 to 4 years had the highest incidence of infection (3.28 per 100,000 population, CI 95% 2.63–4.04).

4. Nearly one-third of confirmed STEC O157 cases in England were hospitalised and 3% were reported to have developed haemolytic ureamic syndrome (HUS).

5. In England and Wales, detection of non-O157 STEC increased in line with the growing number of NHS labs implementing gastrointestinal (GI) diagnostics using polymerase chain reaction (PCR); in 2019, 768 culture-positive non-O157 STEC cases (655 in England, 113 in Wales) were reported.

6. A further 347 specimens in England and 66 in Wales were positive for Shiga toxins (stx) genes on PCR at the Gastrointestinal Bacteria Reference Unit (GBRU) but an organism was not cultured.

7. The most commonly isolated non-O157 STEC serogroup was STEC O26 (England: n=109/655, 17% and Wales: n=28/113, 25%).

8. Five outbreaks of STEC involving 65 cases in England were investigated in 2019.

Cases of STEC in England and Wales in 2019

In 2019, 1,720 confirmed cases of STEC were reported in England and Wales; these comprised 539 culture-confirmed cases of STEC serogroup O157 (515 cases in England and 24 in Wales) and 768 cases (655 in England, 113 in Wales) where a serogroup other than O157 was isolated (non-O157). For a further 413 cases, samples were confirmed as STEC by testing positive by PCR for stx genes, but STEC was not cultured (347 in England, 66 in Wales).

Five confirmed cases were infected with multiple serogroups:

  • O157 and O26
  • O26 and O103
  • O76 and O113
  • O91 and O128ab
  • O146 and O91

There were 13 probable cases with serological evidence of STEC infection, with antibodies detected to O157 lipopolysaccharides in 11 cases (England: 10, Wales: 1), for O111 lipopolysaccharides in one case, and for O26 lipopolysaccharides in another case.

The crude incidence rate of confirmed STEC O157 in England and Wales was 0.91 per 100,000 cases (95% CI 0.83–0.99), continuing the downward trend observed since 2015 (Figure 1). It is the lowest number of cases reported annually since 1996, when testing began in England for STEC O157 on all faecal specimens from patients with suspected gastrointestinal infection (7).

Non-O157 STEC cases in England and Wales
Historically, cases of non-O157 STEC have been under ascertained, with 89 cases of STEC non-O157 reported between 2009 and 2013, prior to PCR being implemented.

Following the increase in recent years in frontline laboratories using PCR, there has been a significant increase in the detection of non-O157 STEC in England. It is not possible to estimate a denominator for incidence calculations for non-O157 STEC because details of contract arrangements for referral of samples from primary care and catchment areas of each diagnostic laboratory using PCR are not known.

In 2019, of 5,760 samples received at GBRU for STEC testing, 1,002 non-O157 STEC cases were confirmed in England. Of the 1,002 non-O157 cases, 655 culture positive cases of 72 different serogroups were confirmed. For 21 isolates, a serotype could not be identified as the genes encoding the somatic O antigen did not match any known sequence in the database. Specimens for a further 347 cases in England were positive for stx genes on PCR at GBRU but an organism was not cultured (PCR positive-culture negative).

In Wales, 113 non-O157 cases of 40 different serotypes were confirmed and a further 66 were PCR positive-culture negative. The most common non-O157 serogroups isolated in 2019 were O26 (28/113, 25%), O146 (15/113, 13%), O128ab (10/113, 9%) and O91 (8/113, 7%) followed by O111 (4/113, 4%), O113 (4/113, 4%) and O156 (4/113, 4%).

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Posted in E.coli O111, E.coli O113, E.coli O157, E.coli O157:H7, E.coli O26, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, microbial contamination, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, O128, O146, O156, O91, STEC, STEC E.coli

USA -Lakeside Refrigerated Services Recalls Ground Beef Products Due to Possible E. coli O103 Contamination

Posted on April 26, 2022 by | Leave a comment

FSIS USDA

WASHINGTON, April 25, 2022 – Lakeside Refrigerated Services, a Swedesboro, N.J. establishment, is recalling approximately 120,872 pounds of ground beef products that may be contaminated with E. coli O103, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today.

The ground beef products were produced from February 1, 2022, through April 8, 2022. The complete list of products and product codes for the beef products that are subject to recall can be found here. Labels for the ground beef products can be found here.

The products subject to recall bear establishment number “EST. 46841” inside the USDA mark of inspection. These items were shipped to retail locations nationwide.

The problem was discovered during routine FSIS testing of imported products. There have been no confirmed reports of illness or adverse reactions due to consumption of these products.

Many clinical laboratories do not test for non-O157 Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) such as O103 because it is harder to identify than STEC O157:H7. People can become ill from STECs 2–8 days (average of 3–4 days) after consuming the organism.

Most people infected with STEC O103 develop diarrhea (often bloody) and vomiting. Some illnesses last longer and can be more severe. Infection is usually diagnosed by testing of a stool sample. Vigorous rehydration and other supportive care is the usual treatment; antibiotic treatment is generally not recommended. Most people recover within a week, but, rarely, some develop a more severe infection. Hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a type of kidney failure, is uncommon with STEC O103 infection. HUS can occur in people of any age but is most common in children under 5 years old, older adults and persons with weakened immune systems. It is marked by easy bruising, pallor and decreased urine output. Persons who experience these symptoms should seek emergency medical care immediately.

FSIS is concerned that some products may be in consumers’ refrigerators or freezers.  Consumers who have purchased these products are urged not to consume them. These products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase.

FSIS routinely conducts recall effectiveness checks to verify recalling firms notify their customers of the recall and that steps are taken to make certain that the product is no longer available to consumers. When available, the retail distribution list(s) will be posted on the FSIS website at www.fsis.usda.gov/recalls.

Media and consumers with questions regarding the recall can contact Lakeside Refrigerated Services at 800-493-9042 or customercare@lakesiderefrigerated.com.

Consumers with food safety questions can call the toll-free USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 888-MPHotline (888-674-6854) or live chat via Ask USDA from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. (Eastern Time) Monday through Friday. Consumers can also browse food safety messages at Ask USDA or send a question via email to MPHotline@usda.gov. For consumers that need to report a problem with a meat, poultry, or egg product, the online Electronic Consumer Complaint Monitoring System can be accessed 24 hours a day at https://foodcomplaint.fsis.usda.gov/eCCF/.

Click to access 011-2022-labels_0.pdf

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Posted in E.coli O103, 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 Testing, Food Toxin, FSIS, O103, STEC, STEC E.coli, USDA

USA – Alabama warms of E. coli and Rotavirus cases in children

Posted on April 25, 2022 by | Leave a comment

Food Poison Journal

The Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) is investigating four cases of E. coli O157:H7 and two cases of Rotavirus in younger children in Northeastern Alabama. ADPH regularly investigates clusters and outbreaks of communicable diseases as required by Notifiable Disease Rules in Alabama.

In 2021, ADPH investigated 113 cases of E. coli, shiga toxin-producing illness (includes O157:H7). People of any age can become infected with this germ, but very young children and the elderly are more likely to develop severe illness and kidney problems than others.

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Posted in E.coli, E.coli O157, E.coli O157:H7, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology Blog, microbial contamination, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, STEC, STEC E.coli

Research – Fall Seasonal Effects Connected to E. coli Outbreaks in Bagged Romaine

Posted on April 23, 2022 by | Leave a comment

USDA

Agricultural Research Service scientists have begun to uncover details underlying a pattern of seasonal E. coli O157:H7 outbreaks linked to bagged romaine lettuce.

That E. coli O157:H7 infection outbreaks connected to romaine are more frequently associated with lettuce commercially grown and harvested at the end of the growing seasons in California and Arizona has been recognized for several years. Although contamination of lettuce products is rare, between 1998 and 2019, 36 outbreaks that traced back to lettuce were recorded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Most of these outbreaks involved romaine lettuce harvested in the fall on the California Central Coast such as in Salinas, and in late winter in Southern California and Arizona. These two states are the major lettuce growing areas in the United States with farm production valued at nearly $2.7 billion in 2021.

“To begin unravelling the causes of these seasonal outbreaks, our research team looked at various factors to identify conditions that may increase E. coli survival on fresh-cut lettuce that we grew in Salinas, and processed and cold-stored in modified atmosphere packaging as is done commercially,” said ARS microbiologist Maria Brandl, with the Produce Safety and Microbiology Research Unit of the ARS Western Regional Research Center in Albany, California, and leader of the study.

One of the most significant findings of this study is that E. coli survived on average 5.6 times better in cold-stored packaged romaine harvested in the fall than on the same varieties harvested in late spring.

Romaine lettuce

ARS scientists have begun to unravel details that may underly a pattern of fall E. coli O157:H7 outbreaks linked to bagged romaine lettuce. (Photo courtesy of Getty Images)

“We also found that among romaine varieties with longer and shorter shelf life in this study, the deterioration rate of the variety with long shelf life was significantly greater when harvested in the fall than in spring. I have observed this in previous studies as well but the significance to E. coli on lettuce had not been tested. Here we showed that greater deterioration in the fall lettuce was associated with better pathogen survival,” explained study co-author ARS geneticist Ivan Simko, with the Crop Improvement and Protection Research Unit in Salinas, California.

In addition, the research team, which included biologist Susan Leonard and others at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, demonstrated that the bacterial community present on bagged romaine differed by season, lettuce deterioration state, and whether survival of E. coli on the lettuce was high or low. This suggests a potential for using the microbiome as an indicator of the microbial quality of fresh-cut bagged lettuce.

The researchers were a little surprised to find such differences in E. coli survival in fall harvested-lettuces compared to spring-harvested ones because many current hypotheses about the seasonality of outbreaks linked to lettuce focus on differences in the prevalence of the E. coli pathogen in the environment.

“While prevalence may also be involved, our results strongly indicate that fall-harvested romaine and the microbe communities it harbors have intrinsic characteristics that make them a better place for E. coli to survive in fresh-cut product. These are the next areas we want to work on. For example, is this something we could try to manipulate in the long run through plant physiology and breeding, and microbiome engineering? And would this trend also be observed for E. coli survival in the field? Our observations definitely open an entire new branch of inquiry about outbreak seasonality,” Brandl said.

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Posted in Decontamination Microbial, E.coli O157, E.coli O157:H7, food bourne outbreak, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, microbial contamination, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, outbreak, STEC, STEC E.coli

RASFF Alerts – STEC E.coli – Sheep Meat

Posted on April 22, 2022 by | Leave a comment

RASFF

E.Coli STEC sheep meet from New Zealand in Italy

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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 Testing, Food Toxin, RASFF, STEC, STEC E.coli

France – French prosecutors raid Buitoni Fraich’UP pizza factory and Nestlé following E. coli Outbreak

Posted on April 19, 2022 by | Leave a comment

Food Poison Journal

The inspections “revealed a deterioration of food hygiene controls”, the presence of “rodents” and “insufficient measures to prevent pests from contaminating a food production site.”

E. coli O26 and E. coli O103 appear to be serotypes linked to this outbreak.

According to press reports, French prosecutors on Wednesday last week searched a Buitoni frozen pizza factory in northern France, the suspected source of an E. coli outbreak that has left dozens of children sick, as well as the headquarters of its owner Nestle France, authorities told AFP .

An investigation into involuntary manslaughter and deceitful practices was opened on 1 April after authorities learned of more than 70 infections, which may have caused the deaths of a one-year-old and an 18-year-old. Over two dozen have developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS).

The search at the Caudry factory operated by Buitoni, which is owned by the Swiss food conglomerate Nestle, was confirmed by a police source and the Paris prosecutor’s office, which is leading the investigation.

Nestle France, whose headquarters outside Paris were also raided, announced a recall of the affected Fraich’UP pizzas on March 18, and authorities ordered a halt of their production at Caudry after carrying out two hygiene inspections.

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Posted in food bourne outbreak, food contamination, Food Hazard, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Pathogen, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, food safety training, Food Temperature Abuse, Food Testing, Foodborne Illness, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, outbreak, STEC, STEC E.coli

USA – E. coli infections from unknown source under investigation in Alabama

Posted on April 19, 2022 by | Leave a comment

Food Safety News

The Alabama Department of Public Health is investigating four cases of E. coli O157:H7 and two cases of Rotavirus in younger children in Northeastern Alabama. 

As of today the department had not reported what the possible sources of the pathogens might be. It is unknown if the sources involve foods or beverages, although food is the usual source of E. Coli infections.

The department regularly investigates clusters and outbreaks of communicable diseases as required by Notifiable Disease Rules in Alabama.

In 2021, ADPH investigated 113 cases of E. coli, shiga toxin-producing illness including O157:H7.

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Posted in E.coli O157, E.coli O157:H7, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Testing, microbial contamination, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, STEC, STEC E.coli

France – Investigation of grouped cases of haemolytic-uremic syndrome (HUS) and shiga-toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) infections linked to the consumption of Buitoni® brand Fraîch’Up pizzas. 

Posted on April 19, 2022 by | Leave a comment

Sante Publique

Public Health France and the National Reference Center (CNR) E. coli and its associated laboratory (Institut Pasteur, Paris, and Microbiology Laboratory of the Robert Debré Hospital, Paris), in conjunction with the Directorate General for Food, the Directorate General for Competition, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Prevention, and in coordination with the Directorate General for Health, have been investigating since 02/10/2022 an increase in the number of cases of haemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) pediatric infections and Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) infections.

The epidemiological, microbiological and traceability investigations carried out since that date have confirmed a link between the occurrence of these grouped cases and the consumption of frozen pizzas from the Buitoni brand Fraîch’Up range contaminated with STEC bacteria. On 03/18/2022, the company proceeded with the withdrawal-recall of all the pizzas in the Fraîch’Up range, marketed since June 2021 and the authorities asked the people who hold these pizzas not to consume them and to destroy them.

The total number of HUS cases linked to the consumption of these pizzas seems to have stabilized since the withdrawal-recall.

Case of SHU in France: update on 04/13/22

As of 04/13/2022, 53 confirmed cases have been identified, of which 51 are linked to STEC O26 strains, and 2 to STEC O103 strains. For 26 other cases of HUS and STEC infections notified to Public Health France, investigations are ongoing.

These 53 cases occurred in 52 children and 1 adult, who presented symptoms between 18/01/2022 (week 3) and 16/03/2022 (week 11) (Figure 1). The epidemic peak is in week 7 (14/02 to 20/02) and week 9 (28/02 to 06/03), with 10 cases each of these weeks. These 53 cases occurred in 12 regions of metropolitan France: Hauts-de-France (11 cases), Ile-de-France (9 cases), New Aquitaine (8 cases), Pays de la Loire (7 cases), Brittany ( 6 cases), Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes (2 cases) [-1 case since the situation update of 06/04/2022 after additional result], Grand Est (2 cases), Occitanie (2 cases), Provence-Alpes- Côte d’Azur (2 cases) and Center Val-de-Loire (2 cases), Bourgogne Franche-Comté (1 case) [-1 case since the situation update of 04/06/2022 after additional result], Normandy ( 1 case) (Figure 2).

The 52 sick children are aged from 1 to 17 years with a median age of 7 years; 23 (44%) are female; 46 (88%) presented with HUS, 6 (12%) with STEC gastroenteritis. Two children died. The adult did not present with HUS [an adult previously reported in the situation update of 06/04/2022 was finally invalidated after additional results].

Figure 1: Epidemic curve: number of confirmed cases of HUS and STEC infections (N=51), by week of onset of symptoms – metropolitan France, weeks 3 to 11, 2022
Figure 1: Epidemic curve: number of confirmed cases of HUS and STEC infections (N=51), by week of onset of symptoms - metropolitan France, weeks 3 to 11, 2022
Figure 2: Geographical distribution of confirmed cases of HUS and STEC infections (N=53) linked to the consumption of Buitoni® brand Fraîch’Up pizzas, by region of residence in metropolitan France, weeks 3 to 11, 2022
Figure 2: Geographical distribution of confirmed cases of HUS and STEC infections (N=53) linked to the consumption of Buitoni® brand Fraîch'Up pizzas, by region of residence in metropolitan France, weeks 3 to 11, 2022

See the previous points

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Posted in food bourne outbreak, food contamination, food handler, Food Hazard, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Pathogen, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Foodborne Illness, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, HUS, Illness, outbreak, STEC, STEC E.coli

Research – Preservation of cut fruit and use of a technological adjuvant for washing certain vegetables

Posted on April 12, 2022 by | Leave a comment

ACSA

The Spanish Agency for Food Safety and Nutrition has published two new reports from its Scientific Committee:

  • Report on the storage conditions of fruit cut in half in retail establishments.
  • Report on the safety of the use of an aqueous solution of sodium lauryl ether sulfate as a processing aid for washing apples, peaches, bananas, tomatoes, peppers and citrus in processing plants .      

Report on the storage conditions of fruit cut in half in retail establishments

The AESAN Scientific Committee has assessed whether it is possible to keep melon, watermelon, pineapple and papaya cut in half at room temperature in retail establishments for a limited time, ensuring consumer safety.

The Scientific Committee has concluded that, on the basis of the information

  • Storage at room temperature of melon, watermelon, papaya and pineapple cut in half can pose a health risk as the physicochemical conditions (pH, water activity, total soluble solids, nutrient availability, etc.) are compatible with growth. of foodborne pathogens, such as Salmonella , E. coli verotoxigenic or L. monocytogenes .
  • In order to make the storage conditions of melon, watermelon, papaya and pineapple cut in half more flexible, temperatures below 25 ºC for a time of less than 3 may be allowed, as they do not pose a significant microbiological risk. hours in a place sufficiently ventilated and preserved from sunlight, followed by continuous refrigerated storage at temperatures below 5 ºC.
  • To minimize the health risk that these practices may pose, it is recommended to discard for cutting fruits with an excessive degree of ripeness, or that have wounds or cracks on their surface, as they can be a source of contamination.

Report on the safety of the use of an aqueous solution of sodium lauryl ether sulfate as a processing aid for washing apples, peaches, bananas, tomatoes, peppers and citrus in processing plants

The AESAN Scientific Committee has evaluated the safety of using an aqueous solution of sodium lauryl ether sulfate (27%) as a technological aid for washing apples, peaches, bananas, tomatoes, peppers and citrus in processing plants. request of a company request.

Sodium lauryl ether sulfate (LESS) is not authorized for human consumption.

As the presence of residues in the final products (fruits and vegetables) after the use of this aqueous solution cannot be ruled out, the technology adjuvant is classified as an unauthorized substance in human food whose Admissible Daily Intake (ADI) is not established and whose use may lead to the presence of technically unavoidable waste.

The Scientific Committee concludes that, based on the information provided by the applicant and taking into account the proposed composition and conditions of use, the use of the technology adjuvant does not imply a risk to the health of the consumer.

The conclusions of this report refer exclusively to the solution under evaluation as a technological aid in the proposed conditions of use and its composition, and may not be extended to formulations or conditions other than those evaluated, including joint use with other substances.

This evaluation does not imply an authorization for use or affect uses other than use as a technological aid in the process of washing apples, peaches, bananas, tomatoes, peppers and citrus in the processing plants. This use involves a final rinsing with drinking water, following the application of the washing water with the technological adjuvant, so that the possible residues in the fruits and vegetables are eliminated.

Click to access FRUTAS_CORTADAS.pdf

Click to access COADYUVANTE_LAURIL_ETER.PDF

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Posted in Antibacterial, Antimicrobials, Food Microbiology Research, Food Technology, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, Research, Salmonella, STEC, STEC E.coli, Technology

Research – The epidemiology of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli serogroup O157 in England, 2009–2019

Posted on April 8, 2022 by | Leave a comment

Cambridge Org

Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) serogroup O157 is a zoonotic, foodborne gastrointestinal pathogen of major public health concern. We describe the epidemiology of STEC O157 infection in England by exploring the microbiological and clinical characteristics, the demographic and geographical distribution of cases, and examining changes in environmental exposures over 11 years of enhanced surveillance. Enhanced surveillance data including microbiological subtyping, clinical presentations and exposures were extracted for all cases resident in England with evidence of STEC O157 infection, either due to faecal culture or serology detection. Incidence rates were calculated based on mid-year population estimates from the Office of National Statistics (ONS). Demographics, geography, severity and environmental exposures were compared across the time periods 2009–2014 and 2015–2019. The number of cases reported to national surveillance decreased, with the mean cases per year dropping from 887 for the period 2009–2014 to 595 for the period 2015–2019. The decline in STEC O157 infections appears to be mirrored by the decrease in cases infected with phage type 21/28. Although the percentage of cases that developed HUS decreased, the percentage of cases reporting bloody diarrhoea and hospitalisation remained stable. The number of outbreaks declined over time, although more refined typing methods linked more cases to each outbreak. Integration of epidemiological data with microbiological typing data is essential to understanding the changes in the burden of STEC infection, assessment of the risks to public health, and the prediction and mitigation of emerging threats.

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Posted in Decontamination Microbial, E.coli O157, E.coli O157:H7, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, microbial contamination, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Research, STEC, STEC E.coli