The Arkansas Department of Health is warning consumers that there is a possible hepatitis A exposure at the On the Border Mexican Grill & Cantino at 2324 Red Wolf Boulevard in Jonesboro. Anyone who ate there between December 13 and December 17, 2018 may have been exposed to the pathogenic virus.
Fruit and vegetables being sold in British supermarkets have been found to contain norovirus, food safety experts have announced.
The UK’s Food Standards Agency (FSA) researchers discovered that one lettuce in every 20 contained the vomiting virus.
The bug, spread by human waste, was also detected in one in every 27 bags of frozen raspberries.
“Norovirus is the commonest cause of gastrointestinal disease in the UK causing millions of cases annually,” said the researchers, who added that their findings indicated serious negligence by food suppliers and retailers.
“One should not expect to find a norovirus in one’s lettuce or raspberry,” scientists told The Sunday Times.
“When the virus is detected it is clear that guidance [on food hygiene] is not being adhered to and that in consequence the pathogen is entering the food supply chain.”
The researchers tested 568 lettuces, which had been mostly grown in Britain, and found norovirus in 30 of them.
The epidermis, the outermost layer of the skin, is a physical barrier against pathogens. However, breach of the skin barrier through wounding introduces a myriad of microbes to the site of injury. Upon disturbance of the epidermal barrier, the innate immune system and its effectors play a key role in protecting humans against cutaneous and systemic infection [1]. Major constituents of the innate immune system include phagocytic cells, such as macrophages, neutrophils, and dendritic cells, as well as innate leukocytes, such as natural killer (NK) cells, mast cells, basophils, and eosinophils. In addition, epidermal keratinocytes act as active innate immune cells. In response to sensing pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) expressed by microbes and host danger molecules, innate immune receptors present on keratinocytes become activated, causing release of inflammatory cytokines and host antimicrobial molecules [2, 3].
The first step of any immune response is recognition of potential pathogens. Germline-encoded pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) recognize PAMPs present on microbes and damaged-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) on host cells (Fig 1) [4]. The four primary groups of human PRRs are toll-like receptors (TLRs), nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptors (NLRs), retinoic acid-inducible gene 1 (RIG-I)-like helicase receptors (RLRs) and c-type lectin receptors (CLRs) [4]. Signaling through PRRs has long been known to be essential for activation of the innate immune response. For example, stimulation of TLR2 increases the immune response to pathogens and helps rescue the inflammatory response of immunosuppressed patients with sepsis [5]. Although PRRs are not as specific as immune effectors of the adaptive immune system, different PRRs have evolved to recognize different molecular patterns [6]. For example, TLR2, TLR6, and nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-containing protein 2 (NOD2) appear to play an important role in host defense against staphylococcal aureus, whereas TLRs 2, 3, 7, 8, and 9 have been found to be activated by many viruses, including members of the herpesviruses, papillomaviruses, and poxviruses [7, 8]. CLRs and TLRs 2, 4, and 9 are thought to be primary receptors involved in recognition of fungal pathogens such as Candida albicans, and there are reports of specific PRR deficiencies in patients with chronic mucocutaneous infections [9, 10].
Posted in Bacteria, Food Virus, Pathogen, pathogenic, Uncategorized, Virus
Federal health officials are reporting an investigation into a norovirus outbreak o a recent Crystal Cruises voyage.
At least 47 passengers and crew onboard the Crystal Symphony were was sickened with vomiting and diarrhea due to norovirus. The voyage date were Nov. 8-Dec. 2.
Specimens were collected and tested onboard using a norovirus rapid test; results were positive for norovirus. The specimens have been sent to CDC for laboratory testing.
Crystal Cruises and the crew aboard the ship reported the following actions:
The FDA has issued a public health alert about possible hepatitis A contamination in Bauer’s Candies’ Modjeskas. This product is individually wrapped marshmallow candy that is dipped in chocolate or caramel. A worker in the facility tested positive for hepatitis A.
Infected Icelandic oysters caused food poisoning for 48 individuals at Skelfisksmarkaðurinn, a relatively new restaurant owned by succcessful tv chef and restaurant owner Hrefna Sætran. Icelandic oysters are a novelty in Iceland as all oysters on menus until now have been imported from Ireland or other countries.
The oysters were imported as youngsters and raised in Skjálfandaflói bay by company Víkurskel. This is the first time that the noro virus is confirmed in oysters in Iceland.
RASFF -hepatitis A virus (presence /2g) in live mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) from Spain, packaged in Italy in Italy
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reported a norovirus outbreak onboard a recent voyage of Holland America’s cruise ship, Volendam.
According to officials, 77 passenger and crew were sicked during the November 3-18 voyage.
Specimens have been collected, tested onboard, and found to be positive for norovirus. The specimens will be sent to CDC for genome sequencing.
Holland America Group and the crew aboard the ship took the following actions to limit the outbreak to include increased cleaning and disinfection, making announcements to notify onboard passengers and crew of the outbreak, encourage case reporting, and encourage good hand hygiene and sending a team to assist the onboard management with infection control response plans.
The vessel arrived in Ft Lauderdale on Nov. 18.
Latest figures show that NHS boards have reported an increase in norovirus and health professionals across NHSScotland are working to reduce the likelihood of outbreaks arising.
Norovirus, sometimes referred to as the ‘winter vomiting bug’, is a highly infectious stomach bug which causes sickness and diarrhoea and can rapidly spread in health and social care settings, as well as in the wider community. Most people make a full recovery within a couple of days, however some people (usually the very young or elderly) may become dehydrated and require hospital treatment.
The best way to stop norovirus spreading is to stay at home for at least 48 hours after symptoms have stopped to avoid spreading it further. Hands should be washed frequently with soap and water as alcohol based hand rubs are not effective for norovirus.
Further information on norovirus can be found at: https://www.nhsinform.scot/illnesses-and-conditions/infections-and-poisonin….
HPS produce guidance for use in all care settings before and during outbreaks of norovirus, and this year have produced new guidance and supporting tools specifically for care homes. Guidance and materials can be found at: https://www.hps.scot.nhs.uk/giz/norovirus.aspx.
The norovirus public facing campaign materials are now available with posters and leaflets being issued to boards. These materials and social media messages can be viewed at: https://www.nhsinform.scot/norovirus.
Outbreaks of norovirus in health care settings and outbreaks caused by a particular genotype of the virus are more likely to make people seriously ill, according to a new study in The Journal of Infectious Diseases. Based on an analysis of nearly 3,800 U.S. outbreaks from 2009 to 2016, the research confirms several factors that can make norovirus outbreaks more severe and may help guide efforts to develop a vaccine to prevent this highly contagious disease.
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