WHO – WHO estimates of the global burden of foodborne diseases.Foodborne diseases burden epidemiology reference group 2007-2015

PLOS Medicine – World Health Organization Estimates of the Global and Regional Disease Burden of 22 Foodborne Bacterial, Protozoal, and Viral Diseases, 2010: A Data Synthesis

PLOS Medicine -World Health Organization Estimates of the Global and Regional Disease Burden of 11 Foodborne Parasitic Diseases, 2010: A Data Synthesis

PLOS Medicine -World Health Organization Global Estimates and Regional Comparisons of the Burden of Foodborne Disease in 2010

PLOS Medicine – Aetiology-Specific Estimates of the Global and Regional Incidence and Mortality of Diarrhoeal Diseases Commonly Transmitted through Food

Nature Communications – Rapid emergence and predominance of a broadly recognizing and fast-evolving norovirus GII.17 variant in late 2014

BioMed Central – Increased norovirus activity was associated with a novel norovirus GII.17 variant in Beijing, China during winter 2014–2015

Clinical Infectious Disease 

Background. While chronic infections by typhoidal Salmonella are well-known, prolonged human infections by non-typhoidal Salmonella (NTS) are poorly characterized.

Methods. We retrospectively analyzed 48,345 culture-confirmed NTS infections that occurred in Israel 1995-2012. A case-control study was performed to identify risk factors associated with persistent infections. Whole-genome-sequencing, PFGE and a mouse infection model were used to study genetic and phenotypic differences between same-patient persistent, recurring isolates.

Results. 1,047 cases of persistent NTS infections, comprising 2.2% of all reported cases of salmonellosis, were identified. The persistence periods ranged between 30 days to 8.3 years. The majority (93%) of the persistently infected patients were immunocompetent and 65% were symptomatic with relapsing diarrhea, indicating a distinct clinical manifestation from the asymptomatic carriage of typhoidal Salmonella. Four NTS serovars (Mbandaka, Bredeney, Infantis and Virchow) were found to be significantly more frequently associated with persistence than others. Comparative genomics between early and later isolates obtained from the same patients confirmed clonal infection and showed 0 to 10 SNPs between persistent isolates. A different composition of mobile genetic elements (plasmids and phages) or amino acid substitutions in global regulators was identified in multiple cases. These changes resulted in differences in phenotype and virulence between early and later same-patient isolates.

Conclusions. These results illuminate the overlooked clinical manifestation of persistent salmonellosis that can serve as a human reservoir for NTS infections. Additionally, we demonstrate mechanisms of in-host microevolution and exhibit their potential to shape Salmonella pathogenicity, antimicrobial resistance and host-pathogen interactions.

AAP Gateway 

FSA 

As a precautionary measure, Easy Eats UK Ltd is recalling various Snacksters, Snax on the Go and Best In Chicken Tikka products due to the possible presence of salmonella in the tikka powder ingredient used to manufacture these products. Salmonella is a bacterium that can cause food poisoning.

The following products are being recalled: Snax on the Go Chicken Tikka Filler & Fillings ‘Use by’ date: 8 February 2016 Snax on the Go Mixed Case (includes Chicken Tikka Sandwiches) ‘Use by’ date: 15 February 2016 Snacksters Chicken Tikka Sandwiches ‘Use by’ dates: 15 February 2016 Snacksters Chicken Tikka Wraps ‘Use by’ date: 8 February 2016 Snacksters Mixed case (includes Chicken Tikka Sandwiches) ‘Use by’ date: 15 February 2016 Best In Chicken Tikka Sandwiches ‘Use by’ date: 15 February 2016

Easy Eats UK Ltd has recalled the above products. Point-of-sale recall notices will be displayed in stores selling these products. These notices explain to customers why the product is being recalled and tell them what actions to take if they have bought the product. A copy of the point-of-sale recall notice can be found below.

If you have bought one of these products, do not eat it. Instead, return it to the store from where it was bought for a full refund.

WHO

Five keys to safer food poster

The Five Keys to Safer Food Programme

Hindustan News

Fifty-eight school children and ten women have fallen sick due to food poisoning after eating kheer (rice pudding) after Republic Day celebrations in MP’s Betul district.

The children and women have been referred to a Betul district hospital.

Gyaneshwar B Patil, collector, Betul, told HT over the phone that the complaints of sickness started after the kids and women ate the mid-day meals served to the local government school and anganwadi children.

“After 58 children and nearly ten women ate kheer, they started vomiting, following which they were brought to the district hospital for treatment. All of them are out of danger,” he said

“I have sent a district-level team to probe the matter and report back to me. If there has been any carelessness on the part of the people who prepared the food, strict action will be taken against them,” he added.

Over the past year, several incidents of food poisoning have been reported from the state.

Sunderland Echo

Lawyers are investigating after a pensioner was hospitalised for five days and diagnosed with Salmonella food poisoning after holidaying at a luxury Egyptian resort.

John Middleton, 65, went on a two-week break to the five-star Sunrise Select Royal Makadi resort with his family in September.

On the final day of his holiday, John, who booked his trip through tour operator Thomas Cook, woke in the early hours with crippling stomach cramps and severe diarrhoea.

Eurosurveillance, Volume 21, Issue 4, 28 January 2016

A cluster of three cases of food-borne botulism due to Clostridium baratii type F occurred in France in August 2015. All cases required respiratory assistance. Consumption of a Bolognese sauce at the same restaurant was the likely source of contamination. Clostridium baratii was isolated both from stool specimens from the three patients and ground meat used to prepare the sauce. This is the second episode reported in France caused by this rare pathogen.

Eurosurveillance, Volume 21, Issue 4, 28 January 2016

A novel GII.17 norovirus emerged in Asia in the winter of 2014/15. A worldwide spread is conceivable and norovirus diagnostic assays need to be evaluated to investigate if they adequately detect this emerging genotype. Seven immunochromatographic kits commercially available in Europe were evaluated on ten stool samples where GII.17 virus had been quantified by real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. All the kits detected GII.17 with various sensitivities, partly depending on the virus titre.