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WHO

This is the most comprehensive report to date estimating the global burden of foodborne diseases. This helps address the lack of data on one of the leading causes of preventable illness and death worldwide. The report includes estimates of the burden of foodborne diseases caused by 31 bacteria, viruses, parasites, toxins and chemicals. The estimates are based on the best available data at the time of reporting, and identified data gaps were filled using imputation, assumptions and other methods.

Full Report Link

New Jersey Herald 

BLAIRSTOWN — The Warren County Health Department has confirmed the presence of several campylobacter infections — a mild gastrointestinal irritation — at Blair Academy.

Peter Summers, Warren County health officer, said that “a few” of the tests that were sent out to labs came back positive for campylobacter after approximately 30 people had reported becoming ill since mid-November. Summers said nearly all of the cases “resolved” within days of being reported.

Officials at Blair Academy could not be reached for comment, but Summers said he believed parents of students were notified of the infection within the last week or so.

Summers said the campylobacter infection is often a food-borne illness, most often the result of undercooked meat or poultry. It is a “relatively mild disease” that causes minor gastrointestinal issues, like gas, bloating and, sometimes, diarrhea. There is no remedy or medication for a campylobacter infection, only rest and increased fluid intake, Summers said.

FDA

JEM Raw Chocolate, LLC (JEM Raw) of Bend, Oregon announced a voluntary recall of its full line of all nut butter spreads within expiry because it has the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons infected with Salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. In rare circumstances, infection with Salmonella can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses such as arterial infections (i.e., infected aneurysms), endocarditis and arthritis.

Health authorities, including the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Oregon Health Authority (OHA), Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA), Center for Disease Control (CDC) have linked the illnesses to person(s) who have consumed nut spreads, including JEM Raw products. There have been eleven (11) illnesses reported but no deaths or hospitalizations to date.

In light of this investigation, and with an abundance of caution, JEM Raw has initiated a voluntary recall of all products and sizes, packaged in glass jars, and sold under brand name JEM Raw Organics.

CDC

OzFoodNet

OzFoodNet undertake surveillance and investigations of foodborne disease in Australia in conjunction with jurisdictions. In 2012-13, OzFoodNet conducted an outbreak investigation of listeriosis with 34 cases, from six jurisdictions identified linked to products from a Victorian manufacturer of soft cheese. OzFoodNet liaised with state and territory authorities, the Communicable Diseases Network of Australia, and Food Standards Australia and New Zealand to identify the link between the consumption of soft cheese and these cases. Data from OzFoodNet’s National Enhanced Listeriosis Surveillance System was used to identify and monitor this outbreak.

OzFoodNet also continues to gather evidence on outbreaks of gastroenteritis associated with the consumption of raw or minimally cooked eggs. Foods commonly served with an uncooked raw egg ingredient such as chocolate mousse, tiramisu and sauces (aioli and mayonnaise) have been linked to outbreaks of salmonellosis. Data from the OzFoodNet Outbreak Register show that in 2011, around 20% of the outbreaks investigated by OzFoodNet were linked to the use of raw or minimally cooked egg.

OzFoodNet is part of a World Health Organization capacity building network – Global Foodborne Infections Network (GFN) that was formerly known as Global SalmSurv. GFN supports laboratory-based surveillance of foodborne diseases, by teaching epidemiologists and laboratory scientists to conduct surveillance for foodborne infections and investigate outbreaks.

Information on outbreaks resulting from contaminated food can be accessed through the OzFoodNet Outbreak Register. Currently, the Register has data on the major causes of foodborne disease outbreaks for 2001 up to the 1st quarter of 2013. Data can be extracted by implicated food, setting where the food was prepared, and causative agent.

Neogen Blog 

A new test developed by researchers at Washington University in St. Louis can now detect virtually any virus known to affect humans and animals. Called ViroCap, this test can also detect “novel” viruses not yet identified, as long as they share a few genetic characteristics with known viruses.

According to a recent article, the researchers developed the test by condensing one billion viral genetic base pairs to 200 million usable sequences. Then they took a snippet of each sequence, and made those snippets into “probes” that can turn up a genetic match in patient samples.

Institut de Veille Sanitaire

In France, the number of confirmed autochthonous hepatitis E (HE) cases has shown a substantial increase since 2006. In 2010, a descriptive study of acute autochthonous laboratory-confirmed HE cases was implemented in order to generate hypotheses about transmission modes and contamination sources. Acute autochthonous HE cases confirmed by the National Reference Centre (CNR) were interviewed on exposures in the 2 to 10 weeks before illness onset. Clinical, biological and epidemiological characteristics
were documented for 139 autochthonous cases. Sixty-five per cent of them resided in southern France, 59% reported underlying conditions and 74% were infected by HEV subtype 3f. Consumption of raw pig-liver products during the incubation period was more frequent among cases in southern (47%) than in northern (25%) France. HE is a frequent infection, more prevalent in Southern France, where cases frequently report the consumption of raw pork-liver products. A case control study will determine the fraction of HE cases attributable to the consumption of such products and other risk factors.

Coconut Manila

“At least 22 persons were hospitalized after eating a meal of pork adobo, hardboiled egg, and rice during a meeting on Monday night, November 30, of the supporters of Malabon Rep. Veronica-Jaye Lacson, who is running for city mayor,” reports Rey Galupo in The Philippine Star.

Investigation is on-going.

News Local

A SUSPECTED mass outbreak of food poisoning at a Chinese restaurant at Wenty Leagues is being investigated by the NSW Food Authority.

Up to 35 patrons – including 10 children – were believed to be struck ill after an ­evening out in September at the Jasmine Restaurant.

Three of the guests ended up in hospital, including a seven-year-old girl and four-year-old boy, and an adult who tested positive for salmonella.

Daily Telegraph – Australia

CASES of salmonella poisoning are at their highest levels in five years, with careless cooking and poor hygiene believed to be behind the increase.

NSW Health’s OzFoodNet report has revealed incidences of the salmonella poisoning are up by 32 per cent compared with the five-year average with 4317 people struck down with the bug in 2014.

Raw eggs, Spanish mackerel, pork liver pate and Vietnamese rolls have been the worst offenders, with late night kebabs and oysters also turning diners into victims.

CISRO

The company hopes the range of topical lotions and washes, called Bio3 Guardian, will provide their main revenue stream and has plans to take the innovation to the global healthcare market.

According to independent tests, the products are fast-acting and effective at killing golden staph (Staphylococcus aureus), a prevalent superbug that led to 1621 hospital-acquired infection cases in 2013-14.

Flaxseed oil contains alpha-linolenic acid, an omega-3 fatty acid with known anti-microbial properties.