Tag Archives: science

Australia – Two Dead and a Miscarriage Listeria Cheese Outbreak

Posted on January 21, 2013 by | Leave a comment

Food Safety News

A Listeria monocytogenes outbreak linked to soft cheeses has sickened 18 people in Australia; two victims have died and one woman miscarried as a result of infection with the bacteria.

The outbreak began in November of 2012, at which time an 84-year-old man from Victoria and a 44-year-old Tasmanian man died as a result of their illnesses, and a New South Wales woman suffered a miscarriage.  By mid-December, 11 cases of listeriosis (Listeria infection) had been identified as part of the outbreak, and brie and camembert cheese sold under the brand names of Jindi and Wattle Valley were implicated as the source of the bacteria.

As a result, health authorities announced a recall of four types of cheeses – 1kg packages of Jindi brie, 1kg packages of Jindi camembert, 1kg  packages of Wattle Valley double brie and 1kg packages of Wattle Valley camembert – all with a best before date of December 21.

Now a further seven cases have been connected to the outbreak, health authorities announced Friday. Officials also expanded the recall to include all cheeses manufactured by the Jindi company up to and including January 6.

Leave a comment

Posted in Bacteria, Death, Food Illness, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Foodborne Illness, Illness, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, Microbiology, Miscarriage, outbreak, Pathogen, Recall

Tagged

Research New Bacterial Identification Technology

Posted on January 17, 2013 by | Leave a comment

Food Poisoning Bulletin

xTAG Gastrointestinal Pathogen Panel (GPP), which recently received approval from US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), is one lab test that can do the job of many,  expertly scanning a solitary stool sample for 11 different illness-inducing organisms.

To many, that sounds an impressive feat in an of itself. But considering that 179 million Americans are stricken with gastroenteritis every year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), it’s also one that can come in handy. Infectious gastroenteritis is caused by certain viruses, bacteria, or parasites and can be spread easily through person-to-person contact or from contaminated food, water, and surfaces. Symptoms include vomiting and diarrhea.

The  xTAG can scan for  bacteria including Campylobacter, Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) toxin A/B, Escherichia coli (E. coli) O157, Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) LT/ST, Salmonella, Shigella and Shiga‐like Toxin producing E. coli (STEC) stx 1/stx 2. It can scan for viruses including Norovirus and Rotavirus A. And it can scan for parasites such as Cryptosporidium and Giardia.

Leave a comment

Posted in Bacteria, Campylobacter, Clostridium difficile, Cryptosporidium, E.coli, E.coli O103, E.coli O104, E.coli O145, E.coli O157, E.coli O26, EHEC, Food Safety, Food Technology, Food Testing, Food Virus, Giardia, Methods, Microbiology, Norovirus, Pathogen, Rotavirus

Tagged , , , , ,

Research – Norovirus and Hand Sanitisers

Posted on January 17, 2013 by | Leave a comment

Food Poisoning Bulletinnorovirus-2(1)

In 2011, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention conducted a study that looked at a substantial increase in novovirus illnesses in northern New England. Researchers looked at long-term care facilities in that area, trying to identify institutional risk factors for norovirus outbreaks. State health departments in Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont used surveys, collecting information about facility attribvutes, routine staff use of alcohol-based hand sanitizer versus soap and water, facility cleaning practices, and occurrence of acute gastroenteritis outbreaks from December 2006 to Amarcy 2007.

Norovirus outbreaks peak in the winter months, when people are forced to spend more time together. Cruise ships, hospitals, and nursing homes usually suffer outbreaks because of the proximity of patients. The virus is extremely contagious and people can become infected through food and drink, person-to-person, and by touching contaminated surfaces.

The surveys found that of the 91 facilities that responded, 61 reported 73 outbreaks in that time frame. Of those outbreaks, 29 were confirmed norovirus. And facilities where staff were “equally or more likely to use alcohol-based hand sanitizer (ABHS) than soap and water for routine hand hygiene had higher odds of an outbreak than facilities with staff less like to use ABHS.”

Leave a comment

Posted in Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Safety, Food Technology, Food Testing, Food Virus, Hygiene, Methods, Microbiology, Norovirus, Pathogen, Research

Tagged , , ,

USA -FDA – Recall Cheese STEC E.coli

Posted on January 16, 2013 by | Leave a comment

FDA

The State Milk Board, in conjunction with the Missouri Department of Agriculture and the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, announced today that Homestead Creamery of Jamesport, Mo. is voluntarily withdrawing a batch of its Flory’s Favorite cheese from the marketplace.

Preliminary test results received from the Missouri State Health Laboratory indicate the cheese may be contaminated with Shiga-Toxin producing E.coli, which can lead to food borne illness. Confirmatory tests are ongoing.

The Homestead Creamery plant license to sell milk products in Missouri has been temporarily suspended, pending the results of the investigation by the State Milk Board and Missouri departments of Agriculture and Health and Senior Services.

The withdrawn product, Flory’s Favorite, is a 60-day aged cheese made with raw milk. Packages of the cheese are marked with “Packed On 210” on the label. This affects approximately 250 pounds of cheese and does not affect any other dairy products from Homestead Creamery.

Leave a comment

Posted in Bacteria, E.coli, EHEC, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Microbiology, Pathogen, Recall, STEC

Tagged , ,

Canada – More Recalls Lettuce – E.coli O157

Posted on January 15, 2013 by | Leave a comment

CFIACIFA

Reference Number: 7688
Recalling Firm: FRESHPOINT TORONTO
Date of Recall: 1/13/2013
Recall Classification: 1
Distribution : New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec
Extent of the Product Distribution : Hotel/Restaurant/Institutional

Leave a comment

Posted in Bacteria, CFIA, E.coli, E.coli O157, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Microbiology, Pathogen, Recall

Tagged ,

USA – Raw Milk Cheese Recall – E.coli STEC

Posted on January 15, 2013 by | Leave a comment

E.coli Blog

The State Milk Board, in conjunction with the Missouri Department of Agriculture and the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, announced today that Homestead Creamery of Jamesport, Mo. is voluntarily withdrawing a batch of its Flory’s Favorite cheese from the marketplace.

Preliminary test results received from the Missouri State Health Laboratory indicate the cheese may be contaminated with Shiga-Toxin producing E.coli, which can lead to food borne illness. Confirmatory tests are ongoing.

The Homestead Creamery plant license to sell milk products in Missouri has been temporarily suspended, pending the results of the investigation by the State Milk Board and Missouri departments of Agriculture and Health and Senior Services.

The withdrawn product, Flory’s Favorite, is a 60-day aged cheese made with raw milk. Packages of the cheese are marked with “Packed On 210″ on the label. This affects approximately 250 pounds of cheese and does not affect any other dairy products from Homestead Creamery.

Leave a comment

Posted in Bacteria, E.coli, EHEC, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Microbiology, Pathogen, Recall, STEC

Tagged , , ,

USA – CDC – Pet Hedghogs and Salmonella Typhimurium

Posted on January 13, 2013 by | Leave a comment

CDChttp://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benutzer:Olaf1541

A total of 16 persons infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Typhimurium have been reported from 7 states.

  • The number of ill persons identified in each state is as follows: Alabama (1), Indiana (1), Michigan (3), Minnesota (2), Ohio (2), Oregon (1), and Washington (6).
  • 30% of ill persons for whom information is available have been hospitalized. No deaths have been reported.
  • 50% of ill persons are children 10 years of age or younger.
  • Epidemiologic, laboratory, and traceback findings have linked this outbreak of human Salmonella infections to contact with pet hedgehogs purchased from multiple hedgehog breeders in different states.
  • It is very important to wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water right after touching hedgehogs or anything in the area where they live and roam. Adults should supervise hand washing for young children.

I must admit I did not even know that you could get pet Hedghogs

 

Picture Courtesy of http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benutzer:Olaf1541

Leave a comment

Posted in Bacteria, Microbiology, Pathogen, Pet Food, Salmonella

Tagged , ,

USA – Another Smoked Fish Recall – Listeria monocytogenes

Posted on January 10, 2013 by | 1 comment

FDAFDA

As precautionary measure, Delifish has decided to expand the voluntary recall to include cold smoked products related to Julian dates 235 to 345, the previous voluntary recall included cold smoked products related to Julian dates 249- 291. There have been no new detections on products placed on the market in relation to this expansion.

The expansion means that all cold smoked products that have been produced in the same period as the product type which initially tested positive in the U.S.A. are now voluntarily recalled. The decision is taken in agreement with the FDA and is carried out as a precautionary measure.

There have been no complaints or illnesses reported. Listeria monocytogenes is an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Although healthy individuals may suffer only short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea, listeria infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women.

1 Comment

Posted in Bacteria, FDA, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, Microbiology, Pathogen, Recall

Tagged

Research – Campylobacter in Chicken Factory Workers

Posted on January 9, 2013 by | Leave a comment

Food Safety NewsimagesCAYZ5I84

New analysis of Campylobacter infections among workers at a Virginia poultry plant offers hints about which employees more likely to fall ill from the bacteria.

Government researchers examined health data for plant employees from January 2008 through May 2011 and found that 29 Campylobacter cases had been confirmed during that time period.

Their findings reveal three characteristics of workers who were more likely to be sickened:

  • Recently employed: A full 83 percent of these patients had worked at the plant less than a month before falling ill, suggesting that illness is more common among new employees.
  • Worked in the live-hang area: Those whose job involved hanging live chickens were far more likely to be infected than those working in other parts of the facility. Of those sickened, 62 percent worked in a live-hang area.
  • Resided in diversion centers: Almost all the employees who contracted Campylobacter infections (26 out of 29) lived in state-operated diversion centers. The authors say the high illness rate among this group may be due to the fact that diversion center residents are disproportionately assigned to live-hang areas, where they are more likely to be exposed to the bacteria.

The fact that new employees fell ill more frequently than those who had been there more than a month is consistent with findings from other studies, which have suggested that workers develop immunity to the bacteria during the first few weeks of work.

CDC – Report

Leave a comment

Posted in Bacteria, Campylobacter, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Testing, Foodborne Illness, Hygiene, Methods, Microbiology, Pathogen, Research

Tagged , , , ,

HPA – New Strain of Norovirus – Sydney 2012

Posted on January 9, 2013 by | Leave a comment

HPANorovirus

As part of its surveillance for norovirus the Health Protection Agency (HPA) carries out genetic testing of norovirus strains from cases in England and Wales.

Testing carried out when cases started to rise in October revealed a cocktail of different strains that were circulating including Sydney 2012 and another called New Orleans 2009, although no one strain was dominant.

The latest testing of the most recent outbreaks, completed this week, has now shown that Sydney 2012 has overtaken all others to become the dominant strain.

Syndey 2012 was first seen in Australia (and takes its name from the place it was first identified) and has also been seen in France, New Zealand and Japan.

This new strain does not cause more serious illness than others and the methods of managing cases and outbreaks are the same for any strain of norovirus. These measures include washing the hands thoroughly and regularly particularly after using the toilet and before eating.

Dr David Brown, Director of Virology Reference Department at the HPA said, “It is always difficult to predict the norovirus season and this year is no different.

“Noroviruses mutate rapidly and new strains are constantly emerging. At the start of the season it is normal for outbreaks to be caused by a range of different strains. However as the season progresses particular strains are more successful and become dominant. The emergence of a new strain does not mean that it causes more serious illness and managing outbreaks and those will the illness remains the same.

Leave a comment

Posted in Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Safety, Food Testing, Food Virus, HPA, Microbiology, Norovirus, outbreak, Pathogen, Research

Tagged , ,