| GTIN | Batch | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 3770004468003 | L23271-1 | Use-by date 09/28/2025 |
Posted in Contaminated water, food contamination, food handler, Food Hazard, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Quality, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Safety Management, Food Safety Regulations, Food Spoilage, Food Testing, Pseudomonas, Water, water microbiology, Water Safety
Scientists in Southern California are asking the kind of questions that make soda drinkers uneasy after a recent study that found fast-food soda fountains were serving up high levels of bacteria along with self-serve drinks.
Researchers from Loma Linda University found bacteria levels that surpassed U.S. Environmental Protection Agency regulations for drinking water at fast-food restaurants in the eastern Coachella Valley, where largely low-income, Latino farmworker families have struggled with accessing potable water.
The study, published in August in the journal Drinking Water, found more than 40% of water samples from fast-food soda fountains had coliforms present, an indicator of contamination. The study calls into question the sanitation and maintenance of water from soda fountains, which rely on government and manufacturer standards.
More than 450 people have been sickened in a Spanish town after drinking and using contaminated water.
Public health officials in Tarazona, in the province of Zaragoza, reported 452 illnesses since early September. Most patients have had a mild illness with symptoms including diarrhea, sometimes vomiting, and a fever.
Analyzes commissioned by Tarazona Council from independent laboratories confirmed the presence of the Cryptosporidium parasite in the Queiles River. Cryptosporidium has also been found in patient samples.
Council staff and public health authorities are trying to find the source, as well as how and where water contamination occurred, so that they can eliminate the problem. At least 45,000 liters of bottled water have been distributed to residents and schools.
Vibrio mimicus caused a seafood-associated outbreak in Florida, USA, in which 4 of 6 case-patients were hospitalized; 1 required intensive care for severe diarrhea. Strains were ctx-negative but carried genes for other virulence determinants (hemolysin, proteases, and types I–IV and VI secretion systems). Cholera toxin–negative bacterial strains can cause cholera-like disease.
Vibrio mimicus, named because of its close metabolic and genetic similarity to V. cholerae, is recognized globally as a cause of foodborne and waterborne diarrheal disease (1–4). Limited data indicate that V. mimicus incidence is lower than that reported for V. parahaemolyticus and non-O1/non-O139 V. cholerae but comparable to that of V. fluvialis (3,4). Although some V. mimicus strains produce cholera toxin (CTX) or a cholera-like toxin or have genes from the ctx complex, most do not (1,5). Nonetheless, V. mimicus can cause severe, cholera-like illness; the hospitalization rate among case-patients reported in 2014 (the most recent year for which data are available) to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is 57% (3). We report a seafood-associated outbreak caused by V. mimicus in Florida, USA, in which 4 of 6 patients required hospitalization
Ruby Mountain Spring Water of Winnemucca, NV, is recalling their brand of 3 and 5-gallon plastic water jugs because the firm’s sample revealed positive findings for coliforms.
According to the details posted online by the FDA, the recall was initiated on Aug. 1, 2023, and is ongoing.
The recalled products were distributed in Nevada.
Recalled product:
Anyone who purchased the recalled product should immediately dispose of it and not consume it.
Posted in Coliforms, Contaminated water, food contamination, food handler, Food Hazard, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Quality, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Safety Management, Food Safety Regulations, Food Toxin, Water, water microbiology, Water Safety
Posted in Contaminated water, Cyclospora, Cyclosporiasis, Decontamination Microbial, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, microbial contamination, Microbial growth, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Microbiology Risk, Parasite, Protozoan, Water, water microbiology, Water Safety
An ongoing investigation into recent E. coli cases in Lehi led to the detection of E. coli O157 in samples collected from pressurized irrigation (PI) water sources in Lehi. Samples were taken from a PI reservoir and nine exposure sites on Monday, August 14. E. coli O157 was found in the sediment of the tested reservoir and at five of the exposure sites.
The investigation linked the source of the outbreak to using pressurized irrigation for drinking and recreation, such as running through sprinklers or playing on slip-n-slides. Currently, the Utah County Health Department has reported a total of 12 cases of E. coli. Pressurized irrigation water, unlike culinary water, is not treated, leaving it susceptible to contamination by harmful bacteria, including E. coli. The effects of E. coli can be severe, leading to a range of health issues. Pressurized irrigation water is not connected to the city culinary drinking water system. Using culinary water to water the lawn should not be used as an alternative water source.
In this article the water safety specialists at Legionella Control International take a detailed look at solar water heating systems and the implications for the control of legionella.
The article examines the social and economic drivers for such eco-friendly heating systems, how they may increase the risks from legionella, and how these risks can be controlled to keep people safe from harm.
A version of this story dealing with the potential risks from legionella when using solar heating systems first appeared in Legionella Control International’s newsletter. To get it in your inbox, sign up for free at the link above.
According to Utah health official and media, in the last two weeks, eight cases of E. coli (likely a shiga-toxin producing E. coli like E. coli O157:H7) were reported in Utah County residents, with at least five of the subjects hospitalized (likely with hemolytic uremic syndrome – HUS) due to the severity of symptoms.
Currently, all reported cases are residents of Lehi or have close ties to the city, says a statement from the Utah County Health Department.
Epidemiologists are working to identify the source of infection, it says. Preliminary investigation links the likely source of spread to using pressurized irrigation water for drinking and play.
Posted in Contaminated water, E.coli, food bourne outbreak, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Illness, microbial contamination, Microbial growth, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Microbiology Risk, outbreak, STEC, STEC E.coli, Water, water microbiology, Water Safety
In the United States, tropical cyclones cause destructive flooding that can lead to adverse health outcomes. Storm-driven flooding contaminates environmental, recreational, and drinking water sources, but few studies have examined effects on specific infections over time. We used 23 years of exposure and case data to assess the effects of tropical cyclones on 6 waterborne diseases in a conditional quasi-Poisson model. We separately defined storm exposure for windspeed, rainfall, and proximity to the storm track. Exposure to storm-related rainfall was associated with a 48% (95% CI 27%–69%) increase in Shiga toxin–producing Escherichia coli infections 1 week after storms and a 42% (95% CI 22%–62%) in increase Legionnaires’ disease 2 weeks after storms. Cryptosporidiosis cases increased 52% (95% CI 42%–62%) during storm weeks but declined over ensuing weeks. Cyclones are a risk to public health that will likely become more serious with climate change and aging water infrastructure systems.
Posted in Contaminated water, Cryptosporidiosis, Cryptosporidium, E.coli, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Testing, Legionella, Legionnaires’ disease, microbial contamination, Microbial growth, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Microbiology Risk, STEC, STEC E.coli, Water, water microbiology, Water Safety
FoodWorld 