Category Archives: Vibrio parahaemolyticus

RASFF Alert – Vibrio parahaemolyticus – Raw Shrimps

Posted on July 20, 2018 by | Leave a comment

kswfoodworld food safety poisoning

RASFF-Vibrio parahaemolyticus (TDH; TRH /25g) in frozen whole raw shrimps from Vietnam in France

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Posted in food contamination, Food Hygiene, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Pathogen, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, RASFF, Uncategorized, Vibrio, Vibrio parahaemolyticus

USA – FDA Advises Consumers to Avoid Potentially Contaminated Fresh Crab Meat Imported from Venezuela due to Vibrio parahaemolyticus

Posted on July 16, 2018 by | Leave a comment

FDA 

CDC Vibrio

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is working with federal, state, and local officials regarding a Vibrio parahaemolyticus outbreak linked to fresh crab meat from Venezuela. At this time, the FDA is advising consumers to avoid eating fresh crab meat from Venezuela, as it may be contaminated with Vibrio parahaemolyticus. Consumers are advised to ask where their crab meat is from, if dining out at a restaurant or in grocery stores. This product is commonly found in plastic tubs and may be labeled as “pre-cooked.” As this is an ongoing investigation, the FDA will share additional updates as soon as information becomes available. The FDA and the states are conducting an investigation to determine the source of contaminated fresh crab meat and ensure it is removed from the food supply. Retailers should not serve or sell fresh crab meat imported from Venezuela.

As of July 12, 2018, there are 12 cases of Vibrio parahaemolyticus. The states reporting cases associated with this outbreak include  Maryland (8), Louisiana (2), Pennsylvania (1), and the District of Columbia (1). Four of these cases are confirmed matches to the outbreak strain by Pulsed Field Gel Electrophoresis (PFGE), which is a type of DNA fingerprinting. All four of these confirmed cases are in Maryland. Four people (33%) have been hospitalized. Illnesses started on dates ranging from April 1, 2018 to July 3, 2018.

Food contaminated with Vibrio parahaemolyticus may look, smell, and taste normal.

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Posted in FDA, food contamination, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Pathogen, Food Poisoning, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Food Toxin, Uncategorized, Vibrio, Vibrio parahaemolyticus

USA – Marylanders sickened by Vibrio infection from Venezuelan crab meat

Posted on July 9, 2018 by | Leave a comment

Delaware Online

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — The health department is warning Marylanders to avoid fresh Venezuelan crab meat after several reports of illness.

News outlets report the Maryland Department of Health has confirmed at least nine cases of Vibrio infections linked to consumption of fresh, unpasteurized crab meat from Venezuela.

No one has died, but two of the nine confirmed cases have resulted in hospitalization.
Vibrio bacteria can cause diarrhea, abdominal cramping, vomiting, fever and chills.

The imported crab meat is sold in plastic tubs under different brand names.

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Posted in Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Pathogen, Food Poisoning, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Uncategorized, Vibrio, Vibrio parahaemolyticus

Bermuda – Conch Poisonings Spark Warning

Posted on July 6, 2018 by | Leave a comment

Tribune 242 

 

THERE have been four confirmed cases of conch poisoning and as many as six unconfirmed cases, Health Minister Duane Sands announced yesterday.

According to Dr Sands, the exposure took place in the previous 72 to 96 hours with a number of the patients affected having eaten at Potter’s Cay.

Noting that an outbreak of conch poisoning is something the country can “ill afford” right now, Dr Sands was adamant the issue can be easily mitigated if proper hygiene is maintained.

Four cases have been confirmed via laboratory testing but Dr Sands said there are a number of unconfirmed cases – “possibly as many as six” awaiting laboratory results. He added the affected people are being treated at both Doctors Hospital and Princess Margaret Hospital, and so far, all the self-identified patients are Bahamian.

Conch poisoning is caused by vibrio parahaemolyticus, a bacteria which requires salt water to live. According to Dr Sands, when ingested, vibrio bacteria can cause watery diarrhoea, which is usually accompanied by abdominal cramping, vomiting, fever, nausea, and chills.

These symptoms often occur within 24 hours of ingestion and last about three days. He added that severe illness is “rare” and typically occurs in people with a “weakened” immune system.

The last major outbreak of conch poisoning occurred in the 1990s, around 1991 and 1999, Dr Sands said. He added that there were more than 1,100 cases of vibrio parahaemolyticus poisoning during that era.

The health minister was also adamant the issue is not with the conch meat itself.

“Vibrio is not an issue of the meat itself. Vibrio is a bacteria that ordinarily lives in seawater and is a part of the surface of the conch. The conch meat itself is not infected with vibrio parahaemolyticus. So you can wash it off. So, testing the conch meat itself is not the issue.

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Posted in food contamination, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Pathogen, Food Poisoning, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Food Toxin, Uncategorized, Vibrio, Vibrio parahaemolyticus

Research – Increasing Vibrio Prevalence

Posted on September 23, 2013 by | Leave a comment

Food Safety NewsVibrio

With a nearly 50-percent mortality rate, Vibrio vulnificus is the most deadly foodborne pathogen in the world, according to University of North Carolina at Charlotte Biology Professor Jim Oliver. And instances of infection in the U.S., however rare, are rapidly rising.

Fifteen years ago, there were 21 confirmed cases of Vibrio vulnificus and parahaemolyticus infections in the U.S. Last year, there were 193.

While infections from either of the pathogens are still rare compared with, say, Salmonella and Campylobacter, the incidence rate grew faster than any of the other five microbes tracked in the Centers for Disease Control’s 2012 Food Safety Progress Report. The vulnificus strain is responsible for 95 percent of seafood-related illness fatalities in the U.S., according to a 2013 study by Oliver and Joanna Nowakowska. Another Vibrio strain, parahaemolyticus, is milder, causing diarrhea, nausea, fever and chills, according to CDC.

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Posted in Bacteria, CDC, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Safety, Food Testing, Microbiology, Pathogen, Research, Vibrio, Vibrio cholera, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Vibrio vulnificans

USA – Oyster Recall – Vibrio parahaemolyticus

Posted on August 10, 2013 by | Leave a comment

Food Poisoning BulletinVibrio

Wegmans is recalling Cape Neddick Blue Point oysters, sold individually, because they may be contaminated with Vibrio parahaemolyticus. This bacteria can make you sick if the oysters are eaten raw. Only Cape Neddick/Blue Point oysters with these UPC codes are recalled: 2-06146-00000, 2-06152-00000, and 2-06153-00000

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Posted in Bacteria, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Microbiology, Pathogen, Recall, Vibrio, Vibrio parahaemolyticus

Canada – Updates Vibrio and Listeria monocytogenes

Posted on August 9, 2013 by | Leave a comment

CFIA Eurofins Food Testing UK

The health hazard alert issued on August 7, 2013 has been updated to include additional distribution information.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is warning the public not to consume the clams described in the link below because they may be contaminated with Vibrio parahaemolyticus.

Consumers who are unsure if they have purchased affected clams should contact their retailer.

The Canadian importers are voluntarily recalling the affected products from the marketplace.  The CFIA is monitoring the effectiveness of the recalls.

The Connecticut Department of Agriculture announced a recall of oysters and clams from certain harvest areas, reporting that they were implicated in a number of illnesses in the US.  There have been no reported illnesses associated with the consumption of these oysters and clams in Canada.

CFIA

The public warning issued on August 2, 2013 has been updated to include additional Best Before date codes of the affected product.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and Jan K Overweel Ltd. are warning the public not to consume the Ballarini brand Gorgonzola cheese products described in the above because the products may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.

The following Ballarini brand Gorgonzola cheese, product of Italy, is affected by this alert.

Also affected by this alert are the above products which may have been sold in smaller packages, cut and wrapped by some retailers. Consumers are advised to contact the retailer to determine if they have the affected products.

There have been no reported illnesses associated with the consumption of these products.

The importer, Jan K Overweel Ltd., Woodbridge, ON, is voluntarily recalling the affected products from the marketplace. The CFIA is monitoring the effectiveness of the recall.

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Posted in Bacteria, CFIA, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Laboratory, Listeria monocytogenes, Microbiology, Pathogen, Recall, Vibrio, Vibrio parahaemolyticus

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Canada – Oysters and Clams – Vibrio parahaemolyticus

Posted on August 8, 2013 by | Leave a comment

CFIAVibrio

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is warning the public not to consume the oysters and clams described below because they may be contaminated with Vibrio parahaemolyticus.

Consumers who are unsure if they have purchased affected oysters or clams should contact their retailer.

The Canadian importers are voluntarily recalling the affected products from the marketplace.  The CFIA is monitoring the effectiveness of the recalls.

The Connecticut Department of Agriculture announced a recall of oysters and clams from certain harvest areas, reporting that they were implicated in a number of illnesses in the US.  There have been no reported illnesses associated with the consumption of these oysters and clams in Canada.  More information on the US recall is available at http://www.ct.gov/doag/cwp/view.asp?Q=529440&A=1401.

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Posted in Bacteria, CFIA, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Hygiene, Microbiology, Pathogen, Recall, Vibrio, Vibrio parahaemolyticus

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USA – Warning – Vibrio in Warm Water Oysters

Posted on July 11, 2013 by | Leave a comment

Food Safety News300px-Crassostrea_gigas_p1040848

The warmer coastal water temperature produced by summer weather creates ideal conditions for bacteria that can contaminate oysters, the Washington State Department of Health reminded the public over the Fourth of July weekend.

Vibrio vulnificus and Vibrio parahaemolyticus, two types of bacteria that grow in warm waters and can cause human illness, are known to be carried by oysters, especially in summer months.

There is further information at the link above.

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Posted in Bacteria, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Hygiene, Microbiology, Pathogen, Research, Vibrio, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Vibrio vulnificans, Water

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Research- Rsing Sea Temperatures Increased Vibrio?

Posted on February 12, 2013 by | Leave a comment

Huffington PostVibrio

In December, Darrell Dishon became one of the approximately 15 people each year who succumb to vibriosis after eating raw oysters. Vibriosis is an incredibly rare disease — but Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data show that it’s getting more common.

“While all the other pathogens have shown a nice decline, the vibrios are about twice what it was since 1998. In a little over a decade, incidence has doubled. They’re still relatively small numbers — but it’s a very striking increase,” leading vibrio researcher Glenn Morris of the University of Florida’s Emerging Pathogens Institute told The Huffington Post.

Vibrio thrive in warm water. (That’s why the majority of cases happen in the summer, and why vibriosis is more closely associated with oysters from the Gulf of Mexico than from, say, the Pacific Northwest.) One widely publicized study published in July 2012 indicated that a 1-degree increase in the temperature of a body of water triples its vibrio population. For that reason, many scientists believe that climate change has contributed to the recent rise in vibriosis, and that it could make vibrio bacteria much more prevalent in coming years.

“Vibrios are in many ways the poster children for global warming, because they are so temperature sensitive and the temperature breakpoint for them is right around the point that we’re seeing temperature increases,” Morris explained.

The disease has already cropped up in places it had never been seen before: Israel, the Baltic Sea, even Alaska. Yet vibrio vulnificus, the form of vibrio bacteria that’s considered the most dangerous and the one that killed Dishon, remains most closely associated with oysters from the Gulf of Mexico. With only about 30 total cases in the United States a year, it’s exceptionally rare. Your chances of finding a valuable pearl in one of the 2.5 billion oysters Americans eat a year are about 100 times greater than your chances of contracting vibrio vulnificus.

Yet when it strikes, it strikes hard. It kills about half the people who get it, a rate comparable, among foodborne illnesses, only to the dreaded listeria monocytogenes. And many of these deaths are unusually painful.

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Posted in Bacteria, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Microbiology, Pathogen, Research, Shellfish, Vibrio, Vibrio cholera, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Vibrio vulnificans, Water