Category Archives: Uncategorized

HPS

As at 4 September 2015, nine cases of infection with the same strain of Escherichia coli O157 PT32 have been reported from across Scotland, associated with the consumption of venison products.

All cases had either consumed products (steaks, grillsteaks, sausages and meatballs) which had been purchased raw from a wide range of outlets and cooked at home or were fellow household members and likely to be secondary cases.

HPS, Food Standards Scotland, and NHS board health protection colleagues are investigating.

FDA 

K-9 Kraving Dog Food has announced a voluntary recall of their Chicken Patties Dog Food shipped between July 13th – July 17th, 2015 because these products may be contaminated with Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes. Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes can affect animals eating the products and there is risk to humans from handling contaminated pet products, especially if they have not thoroughly washed their hands after having contact with the products or any surfaces exposed to these products.

Healthy people infected with Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes should monitor themselves for some or all of the following symptoms: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramping and fever. Rarely, Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes can result in more serious ailments, including arterial infections, endocarditis, arthritis, muscle pain, eye irritation, and urinary tract symptoms. Consumers exhibiting these signs after having contact with this product should contact their healthcare providers.

Pets with Salmonella infections may be lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever, and vomiting. Some pets will have only decreased appetite, fever and abdominal pain. Infected but otherwise healthy pets can be carriers and infect other animals or humans. If your pet has consumed the recalled product and has these symptoms, please contact your veterinarian.

The affected product was distributed to retail stores only in Maryland. No other K-9 Kraving Dog Food products are affected.

No illnesses have been reported to date. Even though no illnesses have been reported, consumers should follow the Safe Handling Instructions printed on the K-9 Kraving Dog Food package when disposing of the affected product.

K-9 Kraving Dog Food became aware of a potential issue after receiving notification from the FDA that a routine surveillance sample of Chicken Patties tested positive for Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes.

Consumers feeding the affected product should discontinue use and monitor their pet’s health, and contact their veterinarian if they have concerns. Consumers who purchased the product can obtain a full refund or exchange by either returning the product in its original packaging or bringing a proof of purchase back to their retailer.

Consumers with additional questions can call our Consumer Relations team at 1-800-675-1471 from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, EST.

Robert Barrett, Chief Executive Officer of K-9 Kraving Dog Food, stated, “At K-9 Kraving Dog Food we take quality and safety very seriously. We believe that under all circumstances, health and safety comes first, and we are committed to providing the best possible nutrition for pets.”

Outbreak News Today

A number of animal cases and a human case of the bacterial, zoonotic disease, Brucellosis, have been reported from the town of Rila, Kyustendil Province, in southwestern Bulgaria, according to a Bulgarian news source

The Focus Information Agency reports a man from Rila who owned a buffalo farm contracted the bacterial infection. This is the first human brucellosis case in the region in several years.

Food Poisoning Journal

Aspen Foods, a Chicago, Ill. establishment, is recalling approximately 561,000 pounds of frozen, raw, stuffed and breaded chicken products that appear to be ready-to-eat (RTE)  and may be contaminated with Salmonella Enteritidis, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today.

The frozen, raw, stuffed, and breaded chicken items that appear to be ready-to-eat (RTE) were produced between August 25, 2015 and September 17, 2015 with “best if used by” dates of August 23, 2016 to December 15, 2016.

Institut de Veille Sanitiare 

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

Ingenta Connect

Escherichia coli O157:H7, non-O157 E. coli, and Campylobacter spp. are among the top-ranked pathogens that threaten the safety of food supply systems around the world. The associated risks and predisposing factors were investigated in a dynamic animal population using a repeat-cross-sectional study design. Animal and environmental samples were collected from dairy and camel farms, chicken processing plants, and abattoirs and analyzed for the presence of these pathogens using a combination of bacterial enrichment and real-time PCR tests without culture confirmation. Data on putative risk factors were also collected and analyzed. E. coli O157:H7 was detected by PCR at higher levels in sheep and camel feces than in cattle feces (odds ratios [OR], 6.8 and 21.1, respectively). Although the genes indicating E. coli O157:H7 were detected at a relatively higher rate (4.3%) in fecal samples from dairy cattle, they were less common in milk and udder swabs from the same animals (1 and 2%, respectively). Among the food adulterants, E. coli O103 was more common in cattle fecal samples, whereas O26 was more common in sheep feces and O45 in camel feces compared with cattle (OR, 2.6 and 3.1, respectively). The occurrence of E. coli in the targeted populations differed by the type of sample and season of the year. Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli were more common in sheep and camel feces than in cattle feces. Most of the survey and surveillance of E. coli focused on serogroup O157 as a potential foodborne hazard; however, based on the PCR results, non-O157 Shiga toxin–producing E. coli serotypes appeared to be more common, and efforts should be made to include them in food safety programs.

Listeria Blog

General Mills is recalling 60,000 bags of its Cascadian Farm frozen green beans after one package tested positive for Listeria. It is the second time this year that the bacteria were found in the company’s green beans.

The Minneapolis-based food company says no illnesses have been reported in either case. Listeria can cause fever, muscle aches, and even death.

The recall, announced Friday, Oct. 2, 2015, is for 16-ounce bags of Cascadian Farm green beans with a “Better If Used By” date of June 29, 2017. The bags were produced in June 2015.

In August, General Mills recalled 60,000 bags of Cascadian Farm green beans in 10-ounce packages. They were produced in March 2014 and had use-by dates of April 2016.

FDA

Texas Star Nut and Food Co., Inc. VOLUNTARILY RECALLS Nature’s Eats, Natural Macadamia Nuts 6oz and Southern Grove, Simply Raw Trail Mix 8oz with the following lot codes because of a possible health risk:

The above products have 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.

No illnesses have been reported in relation to this product to date.

These products were distributed to Retail Locations in Texas, North Carolina, Florida, Georgia and Tennessee. The products were sold between 6/20/2015 and 9/9/2015. This notification is intended to inform consumers that may still have any of the above listed products in their possession.

The recall was as the result of a routine, random sampling program conducted by a FDA contracted lab which revealed that the Nature’s Eats Natural Macadamia Nut product contained Salmonella.

The company has ceased the distribution of this specific lot of macadamia nuts from the supplier.

Consumers who have purchased any of the above listed lot codes are urged to not eat or discontinue consuming the potentially affected product and contact the company at 1-844-571-5555 for refund or product replacement information from 8:30am to 5:30pm Monday-Friday, Central Standard Time.

CIDRAP – Food safety in low and middle income countries

CIDRAP – Use of Internet search queries to enhance surveillance of foodborne illness

CIDRAP – Individual and household-level risk factors for sporadic salmonellosis in children

CIDRAP – Role of brushes and peelers in removal of Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella from produce in domestic kitchens

CIDRAP-Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network—2 decades of achievements, 1996–2015

CIDRAP-Outbreak of Salmonella Enteritidis phage type 13A infection in Sweden linked to imported dried-vegetable spice mixes, December 2014 to July 2015

CIDRAP-Multistate outbreak of human Salmonella Poona infections associated with pet turtle exposure — United States, 2014

CIDRAP– A foodborne outbreak of gastroenteritis caused by Vibrio parahaemolyticus and norovirus through non-seafood vehicle

CIDRAP-Risk factors for sporadic listeriosis in the Netherlands, 2008 to 2013

CIDRAP-Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli infections in Norway, 1992–2012: characterization of isolates and identification of risk factors for haemolytic uremic syndrome

CIDRAP – Outbreaks associated with environmental and undetermined water exposures — United States, 2011-2012

CIDRAP-Surveillance for waterborne disease outbreaks associated with drinking water — United States, 2011–2012