Category Archives: Virus

Netherlands – Netherlands records more than 700 outbreaks in 2019

Posted on November 16, 2020 by KSW | Leave a comment

More than 700 food-related outbreaks were reported in the Netherlands in both 2018 and 2019.

In 2018, 756 foodborne outbreaks with 2,805 illnesses were recorded and in this past year 735 outbreaks with 3,058 illnesses were reported. The number of outbreaks went up from 2017 but illnesses declined.

The data comes from an overview by the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) of the main zoonoses and their prevalence in the country for the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA). It features 2018 and 2019 figures. The NVWA did not report 2018 outbreak data in 2019 because of a technical issue.

Norovirus was the main cause of outbreaks with 16 and 17 in 2018 and 2019, respectively, and most patients in both years with 370 and 375. The number of outbreaks is lower than 2017 but higher than 2016.

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Posted in Campylobacter, food bourne outbreak, food contamination, food handler, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Pathogen, Food Poisoning, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Spoilage, Food Virus, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Norovirus, outbreak, Virus

USA – Potential Hepatitis A Exposure at Trading Post in Yates County, NY

Posted on November 16, 2020 by KSW | Leave a comment

Food Poisoning Bulletin

A potential Hepatitis A exposure at the Trading Post Restaurant in Yates County, New York may have exposed patrons to the virus, according to the Yates County Health Department. The notice did not definitively state what the risk was, although it’s usually an employee who worked while infectious.

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Posted in food contamination, food handler, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Pathogen, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Food Virus, Hepatitis A, Virus

Research – Characteristics of Norovirus Food Poisoning Outbreaks in Korea in the 2000s

Posted on November 5, 2020 by KSW | Leave a comment

Journal of Food Protection

Eurofins

Norovirus food poisoning outbreaks in Korea (South) appeared in 2000s and have been increasing since then. We aimed to investigate the epidemiological features of norovirus food poisoning outbreaks in Korea over the past years (2002 ~ 2017), based on official food poisoning statistics and available reports, and to find their association with climate factors. Norovirus was the most common cause of food poisoning among known causative substances in Korea during the study period. More than one-third of the incidents occurred in group meal-service facilities, including school lunch programs. A few of these facilities used groundwater contaminated with noroviruses to wash / cook food, which contributed to outbreaks. Norovirus occurrences showed strong seasonality; cold and relatively dry winter air may help norovirus to flourish. Both norovirus genotypes GI and GII infectious to humans were detected, with GII becoming more prevalent than GI. According to our correlation analysis in connection with climate factors, average temperatures, the highest and lowest temperatures, precipitation, the number of rain days, and humidity showed a significant negative correlation with a monthly norovirus occurrence (p < 0.05). The lowest temperature and average temperature had higher coefficients of correlation, -0.377 and -0.376, respectively. The norovirus outbreaks in Korea showed complex etiological characteristics, although it more prevailed in wintertime, and are now considered as a major public health problem. The use of groundwater in group meal-service settings has a public health impact as well as norovirus concern, therefore groundwater used in food service facilities / business should be treated for safety.

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Posted in food bourne outbreak, food contamination, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Pathogen, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Virus, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Norovirus, outbreak, Poisoning, Research, Virus

USA – Bangor Texas Roadhouse linked to Hepatitis A scare

Posted on November 4, 2020 by KSW | Leave a comment

Food Poison Journal

The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Maine CDC) has identified a case of acute hepatitis A virus infection in a Bangor, Maine, food service worker. The case handled food while infectious on October 16-18, 20, 22-25, 27 and 29.

Epidemiological assessment of the employee’s illness determined that restaurant patrons may be at risk for hepatitis A infection. Maine CDC is recommending that anyone who may have eaten food prepared at or who worked at the Texas Roadhouse in Bangor on the dates listed above between October 20th through October 29th receive hepatitis A vaccine within 14 days of their last exposure as there is a 14-day window during which prophylaxis is effective.

This recommendation includes anyone who may have had dine-in, take-out, delivery, or curbside pickup of food from the restaurant. Anyone who visited the restaurant from October 16th through October 19th, 2020, is outside the window for which prophylaxis is recommended, but is advised to watch for symptoms and seek medical attention should they develop symptoms.

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Posted in food handler, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Food Virus, Foodborne Illness, Hepatitis A, Virus, Virus Vaccination

Research – Food Fraud With Nasty Results – Norovirus

Posted on October 21, 2020 by KSW | Leave a comment

Food Safety Tech

Norovirus Food Safety kswfoodworld

Global food supply chains are complex and therefore quite vulnerable to errors or fraudulent activity. A company in Chile repackaged and falsely labeled cheap raspberries from China, reselling them as top-level organic Chilean raspberries in Canada. These raspberries were linked to a norovirus outbreak in Canada, sickening hundreds of people. A whistleblower complaint helped to uncover this fraudulent scheme that posed a significant risk to human health.

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Posted in food contamination, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Pathogen, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Food Virus, Norovirus, Research, Virus

Denmark and Sweden – Imported frozen berries suspected in hepatitis A outbreak

Posted on October 12, 2020 by KSW | Leave a comment

Food Safety News

Officials in Sweden and Denmark are investigating a hepatitis A outbreak with frozen imported berries suspected to be the source of infection.

Since mid-July, nine patients with the same type of hepatitis A virus have been reported from five different regions in Sweden. The latest patient fell ill on Sept. 18.

Six women and three men from Norrbotten, Västra Götaland, Stockholm, Uppsala and Södermanland are infected with the liver virus. Patients range from 2 to 78 years old. Also, a couple of people are ill in Denmark.

Frozen berries named as potential source
Interviews have found some people ate frozen imported berries, especially raspberries, which were not heated before consumption. However, analysis of sampled berries has not been able to detect the hepatitis A virus.

Local infection control units, Swedish Food Agency (Livsmedelsverket), and Public Health Agency of Sweden (Folkhälsomyndigheten) are investigating to confirm the source of the infections.

Two Danish cases have been linked to the Swedish outbreak and a cross-border investigation has been initiated.

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Posted in food bourne outbreak, food contamination, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Pathogen, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Food Virus, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Hepatitis A, Virus

RASFF Alert- Norovirus – Razor Clams

Posted on October 2, 2020 by KSW | Leave a comment

RASFF

norovirus in razor clams from the Netherlands it Italy

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Posted in food contamination, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Pathogen, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Virus, Norovirus, RASFF, Virus

Belgium – PICARD – Whole frozen raspberries 1 kg. – Norovirus

Posted on September 21, 2020 by KSW | Leave a comment

AFSCA

Recall of PICARD
Product: Whole frozen raspberries 1 kg.
Problem: possible presence of Norovirus.

In agreement with the AFSCA, Picard is withdrawing frozen whole raspberries from sale and is recalling them to consumers due to the possible presence of Norovirus.
Picard asks its customers not to consume this product and to return it to the point of sale where it was purchased in order to be reimbursed.

Product description

– Product name: Whole frozen raspberries
– Brand: Picard
– Best before end: 12/2021
– Lot number: EC072-1-20
– Sale period: from 23/06/2020 to 16 / 09/2020
– Type of packaging: plastic bag
– Weight: 1 kg

The product was sold through the following Picard stores:

Picard, 120 Chaussée de Bruxelles, 1410 WATERLOO
Picard, 166 Avenue Georges Henri, 1200 WOLUWE-SAINT-LAMBERT
Picard, 41 Rue de Rixensart, 1332 GENVAL

For any further information, contact: info@picard.be .

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Posted in afsca, food contamination, food handler, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Pathogen, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Food Virus, microbial contamination, Microbiology, Norovirus, Virus

Research – Resurgence of an international hepatitis A outbreak linked to imported frozen strawberries, Germany, 2018 to 2020

Posted on September 19, 2020 by KSW | Leave a comment

Eurosurveillance

Following outbreaks linked to frozen strawberries in Sweden and Austria in 2018, 65 cases linked to the same hepatitis A virus strain were detected in Germany between October 2018 and January 2020, presenting in two waves. Two case–control studies and a comparison of cases’ consumption frequencies with purchase data from a large consumer panel provided strong evidence for frozen strawberry cake as the main vehicle of transmission. Of 46 cases interviewed, 27 reported consuming frozen strawberry cake and 25 of these identified cake(s) from brand A spontaneously or in product picture-assisted recall. Trace back investigations revealed that the Polish producer involved in the previous outbreaks in Sweden and Austria had received frozen strawberries from Egypt via a wholesaler that also delivered frozen strawberries to manufacturer of brand A. Phylogenetic analyses linked the outbreak strain to similar strains formerly isolated from sewage, stool and strawberries in Egypt. Complete trace back and timely recall of products with strong evidence of contamination is important to control an outbreak and prevent later resurgence, particularly for food items with a long shelf life. Continued molecular surveillance of hepatitis A is needed to identify outbreaks and monitor the success of food safety interventions.