Category Archives: Uncategorized

E.coli Blog

The North Dakota Department of Health is investigating a possible cluster of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) infections in eastern North Dakota.

Three cases have been reported, all are less than 18 years of age and all reported attending the Red River Valley Fair in West Fargo which was held July 7 through 12.

One of the cases has been diagnosed with hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a severe complication of STEC infections, in which red blood cells are damaged and can cause kidney damage and kidney failure.

Viet Nam News

HCM CITY (VNS) — Nearly 100 workers of a footwear company in HCM City’s Thu Duc District were rushed to hospitals on Wednesday evening allegedly for food poisoning.

The workers reportedly suffered from stomach ache, vomiting and diarrhoea after having dinner before the late shift.

Nguyen Thanh Binh, a doctor at the Emergency Department of Thu Duc District Hospital said that the workers displayed symptoms of food poisoning.

Forty workers received intravenous fluids.

The district’s preventive medicine centre and relevant agencies took food samples from the company’s canteen for testing.

This food poisoning case occurred just a day before a conference in northern Thai Nguyen Province on food safety at collective canteens organised by the health ministry.

ingentaconnect 

Seed sprouts have been implicated as vehicles for numerous foodborne outbreaks worldwide. Seed sprouts pose a unique food safety concern because of the ease of microbiological seed contamination, the inherent ability of the sprouting process to support microbial growth, and their consumption either raw or lightly cooked. To examine seed sprout safety in the Australian state of Victoria, a survey was conducted to detect specific microbes in seed sprout samples and to investigate food handling practices relating to seed sprouts. A total of 298 seed sprout samples were collected from across 33 local council areas. Escherichia coli was detected in 14.8%, Listeria spp. in 12.3%, and Listeria monocytogenes in 1.3% of samples analyzed. Salmonella spp. were not detected in any of the samples. A range of seed sprout handling practices were identified as potential food safety issues in some food businesses, including temperature control, washing practices, length of storage, and storage in proximity to unpackaged ready-to-eat potentially hazardous foods.

ITV News

Four more reports of E.coli O157 infections in the North East have been received by health officials in the last 24 hours

This brings the total number of people affected to 12, of which five are in hospital.

Four of the people in hospital are children aged between eight and fourteen. The fifth person in hospital is an adult.

Although a definite source has not yet been identified, many of the affected people are known to have eaten pre-cooked meats or savoury products supplied by Robinson’s butcher and caterer who have shops in Wingate and Billingham.

Food Poisoning Bulletin 

Cryptosporidium is a frequent source of waterpark and pool outbreaks according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Cryptosporidium is a parasite that causes watery diarrhea, cramps, nausea and other symptoms that last for 10 days.

The report looked at waterborne outbreaks reported from 32 states and Puerto Rico in 2011 and 2012. During that time period, 90 treated recreational water outbreaks  that caused 1, 788 illnesses, 95 hospitalizations and one death were reported.

Recreational water outbreaks happen when contaminated water is accidentally ingested. The source was determined in 73 of the outbreaks.  Of those, 37 were caused by Cryptosporidium, a parasite that can survive CDC-recommended chlorine levels and is not trapped in filters.  The settings for these outbreaks included hotels, spas, pools and waterparks.

There were also 21 outbreaks associated with untreated recreational water. These outbreaks sickened 479 people, hospitalizing 22 of them.  Just one of these outbreaks was caused by Cryptosporidium. Seven of these outbreaks were caused by E. coli O157:H7 or  E.coli O111.

Food Poisoning Journal

A recent surge in reports of illnesses due to the parasite Cyclospora has prompted DSHS to investigate the infections in hopes of determining a common source. DSHS has received reports of 182 Cyclosporiasis cases from around Texas this year.

Food Safety News 

Salmonella Typhimurium Sickens At Least 50 Oregon Conference Attendees –

Public health officials in Oregon are looking into what caused 50-some people to become sickened by Salmonella typhimurium after a conference in late June.

A spokeswoman for Multnomah County said several illnesses were confirmed after an Open Source Bridge Conference held June 23-26 at the Eliot Center in downtown Portland, and that there were reports of gastrointestinal problems from dozens of others.

Food Safety News

Raw Tuna ‘Likely Source’ of 60 Salmonella Infections in 11 States – As of July 14, 2015, 60 people infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Paratyphi B variant L(+) tartrate(+) have been reported from 11 states. Eleven ill people have been hospitalized. No deaths have been reported.

CDC

CDC, several states, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service are currently investigating two separate outbreaks of Salmonella Enteritidis infections linked to raw, frozen, stuffed chicken entrees. The two outbreaks are caused by different strains of Salmonella Enteritidis.

At this time, this outbreak has not been connected with an outbreak of Salmonella Enteritidis infections linked to raw, frozen, stuffed chicken entrees produced by Aspen Foods(http://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/frozen-chicken-entrees-part2-07-15/index.html) and sold under many different brands.

Food Poisoning Journal

Consumers should check their freezers for recalled frozen chicken products and should not eat them. Retailers should not sell them and restaurants should not serve them.

Salmonella Enteritidis infections linked to Antioch Farms brand cordon bleu stuffed chicken breast

The CDC, the Minnesota Department of Health, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA-FSIS) are investigating an outbreak of Salmonella Enteritidis infections linked to raw, frozen, stuffed chicken entrees produced by Aspen Foods.

Three people infected with a strain of Salmonella Enteritidis have been reported from Minnesota. Two of these ill people have been hospitalized. No deaths have been reported.

The three illnesses in Minnesota occurred after people had eaten Antioch Farms brand cordon bleu stuffed chicken breast, which is produced by Aspen Foods.

On July 1, 2015, USDA-FSIS issued a public health alert due to concerns about illnesses caused by Salmonella that may be associated with raw, frozen, breaded and pre-browned, stuffed chicken products.

On July 15, 2015, Aspen Foods issued a recall of approximately 1.9 million pounds of frozen, raw, stuffed, and breaded chicken products that may be contaminated with Salmonella Enteritidis. Products subject to recall bear the establishment number “P-1358” on the packaging. Products were shipped to retail stores and food service locations nationwide.

Salmonella Enteritidis infections linked to raw, frozen, stuffed chicken entrees produced by Barber Foods

Food Poisoning Journal

4 Million Pounds of Frozen Chicken Products Recalled After 10 Sickened – The CDC, the Minnesota Department of Health, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA-FSIS) are investigating an outbreak of Salmonella Enteritidis infections linked to raw, frozen, stuffed chicken entrees produced by Aspen Foods.

Food Poisoning Bulletin – Outbreaks Linked to Frozen Food

Two simultaneous Salmonella outbreaks linked to frozen chicken entrees in Minnesota are the latest examples of how frozen food can cause illness. Frozn foods can be contaminated with Salmonella, E. coli, Hepatitis or Listeria or other dangerous pathogens.

Salmonella

Two current Salmonella outbreaks are linked to frozen, raw, pre-browned chicken Kiev by Barber Foods and frozen, raw, pre-browned chicken Cordon Bleu by Antioch Farms have sickened seven people, hospitalizing four of them. Illnesses in other states may also be linked to the outbreaks. Investigations are ongoing.

CFIA 

The food recall warning issued on July 14, 2015 has been updated to include additional product information. This additional information was identified during the Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s (CFIA) food safety investigation.

Industry is recalling Barber Foods brand uncooked stuffed chicken from the marketplace due to possible Salmonella contamination. Consumers should not consume and distributors, retailers and food service establishments such as hotels, restaurants, cafeterias, hospitals and nursing homes should not sell or use the recalled product described in the link above.

CFIA

The Healthy Butcher is voluntarily recalling smoked fish from the marketplace because it may permit the growth of Clostridium botulinum. Consumers should not consume the recalled products described below.

The affected products were sold in variable weight packages at The Healthy Butcher retail locations in Ontario.

Consumers who are unsure if they have purchased the affected products are advised to contact their retailer.

Food Safety News

The illness outbreak connected to fruit candies that sickened nearly 2,000 people in the Philippines was likely caused by poor worker hygiene at the production facility, resulting in contamination by Staphylococcus aureus, according to newly released test results.

BBC News 

Three children are in hospital after a suspected E. coli outbreak in County Durham and Teesside.

Public Health England (PHE) is warning people to not eat any cold pre-cooked meats and savouries bought since 25 June from Robinsons butchers in Wingate and Billingham.

Seven confirmed cases and one suspected one have been reported in the past week in both adults and children, PHE said.

A spokesman for Robinsons said it was discarding all ready to eat food.

PHE said the precautionary advice had been issued to residents in County Durham and North Tees after an investigation began into the possible source of an outbreak of E. coli O157.

Focus Taiwan 

Taipei, July 16 (CNA) A recent diarrhea outbreak among 102 tourists on Green Island off Taitung was caused by a norovirus infection at a local seafood restaurant that had served contaminated raw oysters imported from South Korea, Taiwan’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reported Thursday.