Oskri Organics Corporation of Lake Mills, WI is recalling Oskri Organic Sunflower Butter Lot # 099, Oskri Tahini Butter LOT # 193 and Thrive Sunflower Butter LOT # 233, because it has the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.
Reshma Ravishanker and Bellie Thomas of the Deccan Herald report a calm Sunday night turned into a nightmare for the children at a remand home in Siddapura as several of them fell ill after consuming food in which they had spotted a lizard. As many as 103 children of Siddapura Balamandira were rushed to the Indira Gandhi Institute of Child Health (IGICH) in the early hours of Monday. While some had started gagging and had diarrhoea, the others were nauseated after consuming rice and sambar for dinner.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), CDC was the lead public health agency on 24 multistate foodborne outbreak investigations in 2018.
Perhaps the most significant event CDC was involved in was the December romaine lettuce recall. CDC, public health and regulatory officials in several states, Canada, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) investigated a multistate outbreak of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli O157:H7 (E. coli O157:H7) infections linked to romaine lettuce from the Central Coastal growing regions in northern and central California.
Contamination of the inanimate environment around patients constitutes an important reservoir of MRSA. Here we describe the effect of introducing a universal disinfection wipe in all wards on the rates of MRSA acquisitions and bacteraemias across a large UK teaching hospital.
A segmented Poisson regression model was used to detect any significant changes in the monthly numbers per 100,000 bed days of MRSA acquisitions and bacteraemias from April 2013 – December 2017 across QEHB.
From April 2013 to April 2016, cleaning of ward areas and multi-use patient equipment by nursing staff consisted of a two-wipe system. Firstly, a detergent wipe was used, which was followed by a disinfection step using an alcohol wipe. In May 2016, QEHB discontinued the use of a two-wipe system for cleaning and changed to a one wipe system utilising a combined cleaning and disinfection wipe containing a quaternary ammonium compound. The segmented Poisson regression model demonstrated that the rate of MRSA acquisition/100,000 patient bed days was affected by the introduction of the new wiping regime (20.7 to 9.4 per 100,000 patient bed days; p <0.005).
Using a Poisson model we demonstrated that the average hospital acquisition rate of MRSA/100,000 patient bed days reduced by 6.3% per month after the introduction of the new universal wipe.
We suggest that using a simple one wipe system for nurse cleaning is an effective strategy to reduce the spread and incidence of healthcare associated MRSA.
The McDonald’s cyclospora outbreak was the number one outbreak of 23018, with 511 people in 16 states sickened. Twenty four people were hospitalized because they were so sick
Epidemiologic and traceback evidence found that salads purchased from McDonald’s were “one likely source of this outbreak.” The FDA did not name other sources.
On July 26, 2018, the FDA completed analysis of an unused package of romaine lettuce and carrot mix that was distributed to McDonald’s by the Fresh Express processor in Streamwood, Illinois. They confirmed the presence of the cyclospora parasite in the sample. However, the FDA did not identify a single source of point of contamination for this outbreak.
As stated by CDC’s John Besser, Ph.D. last month at the Food Safety Consortium, “It’s been quite a year for outbreaks.” Here’s a not-so-fond look back at some of the noteworthy outbreaks and recalls of 2018.
Romaine Lettuce –E.coli O157:H7
Raw Beef Products – Salmonella
Shell Eggs – Salmonella
Pre-cut Melon – Salmonella
Vegetable Trays – Cyclospora
Salad Mix – Cyclospora
Raw Turkey – Salmonella
Honey Smacks Cereal – Salmonella
Duncan Hines Cake Mix – Salmonella
Johnston County Hams – Listeria monocytogenes
Posted in Cyclospora, E.coli, E.coli O157, E.coli O157:H7, food bourne outbreak, food contamination, food death, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Pathogen, Food Poisoning, food recall, Food Safety, Food Testing, Food Toxin, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, outbreak, Salmonella, Uncategorized
The yellow rubber ducky is a childhood staple in the bathtub along with other toys. While fun, they can be a breeding ground for bacteria.
“They especially love these squeezy ones because they love to you know, squirt each other in the face and play games like that,” explains mom Mindy Lind.
But what grows inside these toys between bath time can be concerning to parents. Microbiologist Dr. Sheril Burton checked for common types of bacteria in toys from five different homes. Samples were collected from two rubber ducks, a block, a starfish and a truck.
They were incubated and six days later some pretty nasty organisms were found.
The results: A rubber duck and a truck tested positive for E.coli. Two ducks were positive for staph. A duck, a block, and truck were positive for pseudomonas. All were positive for fungi and coliform, except a starfish which was dry.
” What’s happening in the toy is from the soap and washing from your body and everything, your body fluids, you are enhancing the growth of the bacteria,” says Dr. Burton.
Posted in Uncategorized
A Danbury steakhouse closed its doors following an investigation into foodborne illnesses reported by customers, city health officials confirmed.
City and state health officials say they are working to investigate Barbarie’s Black Angus Grill on Eagle Road, which closed Thursday.
The Health Department says it’s working with the restaurant to determine the source of the illness.
Lisa Morrissey, the Health and Human Services director of Danbury wrote in a statement, “At this time I can confirm that we are looking into reports of foodborne illness. We are working in conjunction with the state Department of Public Health to determine to source of the diners recent illness.”
Morrissey would not comment on the number of complaints associated with the restaurant or specifically what type of illnesses were reported.
