Home Style Foods, a seafood and salad processor in Hamtramck, Michigan has been enjoined against producing and distributing ready-to-eat seafood salads, non-seafood salads, pierogis, and dips because they were processed under insanitary conditions, according to the Department of Justice. The complaint was filed on January 13, 2020 against the company and the company's president, Michael J. Kowalski. The complaint states that the company "violated the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act by processing and distributing fish products and other food, including salads, pierogis, and dips, in a facility where government inspectors previously found evidence of Listeria contamination. The complaint also alleged violations of seafood safety regulations designed to mitigate hazards associated with … [Read more...]
FDA Investigation of Romaine Multistate E. coli O157:H7 HUS Outbreak
The FDA has announced that the romaine multistate E. coli O157:H7 HUS outbreak is over after sickening 167 people in 27 states. The romaine lettuce that. made people sick is no longer on the market, since it was grown and harvested in the Salinas, California region and that area's growing season is over. The case count by state is: Arizona (4), California (8), Colorado (6), Delaware (1), Florida (4), Iowa (1), Idaho (4), Illinois (15), Maryland (5), Michigan (2), Minnesota (7), Montana (1), North Carolina (3), Nebraska (2), New Jersey (9), New Mexico (2), New York (3), Ohio (12), Oregon (1), Pennsylvania (21), South Carolina (1), South Dakota (1), Tennessee (1), Texas (6), Virginia (6), Washington (6), and Wisconsin (35). Patient illness onset dates ranged from September 20, 2019 to … [Read more...]
FDA Weighs in on Fresh Express Sunflower Crisp E. coli Outbreak
The FDA is weighing in on the Fresh Express Sunflower Crisp E. coli O157:H7 outbreak that sickened 10 people in 5 states. Four people were hospitalized and one patient developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a type of kidney failure. This salad mix also made 25 people sick in Canada, where the Fresh Express product was recalled. There was no recall issued in the U.S. The contaminated Fresh Express Sunflower Crisp Chopped salad kits that made people sick are "likely no longer available on the market," according to the FDA statement. The outbreak has ended as of January 15, 2020 after sickening 1 person in Georgia, Illinois, and North Dakota; three in Wisconsin; and four in Minnesota. Once again, the FDA states that this outbreak, the outbreak associated with Evergreen … [Read more...]
Fresh Express Sunflower Crisp E. coli O157:H7 Outbreak Ends With 10 Sick
The Fresh Express Sunflower Crisp E. coli O157:H7 outbreak is over, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), after sickening 10 people in 5 states and hospitalizing 4. One patient developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). That is an increase of two more patients in two more states from the latest outbreak update that was released on December 9, 2019. The two new patients live in Georgia and Illinois. The case count by state is: Georgia (1), Illinois (1), Minnesotas (4), North Dakota (1), and Wisconsin (3). Illness onset dates ranged from November 5, 2019 to November 16, 2019. The patient age range is from 21 to 92. Four of 10 patients were hospitalized, and one person developed HUS. No deaths were reported. The contaminated Fresh Express Sunflower Crisp … [Read more...]
Salinas Romaine E. coli O157:H7 Outbreak Over After Sickening 167
The Salinas romaine E. coli O157:H7 outbreak is declared over by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), after sickening 167 people in 27 states. That is an increase of 29 more patients and two more states since the last outbreak update on December 19, 2019. Eighty-five people were hospitalized, 15 people developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a type of kidney failure, and there were no deaths. The CDC is no longer telling people to avoid romaine lettuce from the Salinas Valley growing region in California, but the growing season is over in that area until later this year. Once again, no specific grower or producer was named in this outbreak, although several recalls of products were issued. The case count by state is: Arizona (4), California (8), Colorado (6), … [Read more...]
Minnesota State Fair Lawsuit Filed For a Child Sickened with E. coli O157:H7
The lawyers at Pritzker Hageman have filed a lawsuit on behalf of a 4-year-old boy who was sickened with an E. coli O157:H7 infection he contracted at the Minnesota State Fair last summer. The boy suffered permanent kidney damage as a complication of this infection. The outbreak at the fair sickened 11 people ; it was announced in mid-September 2019. Contact with livestock was a key factor in this outbreak according to public health officials, and in fact many patients said they visited the Miracle of Birth exhibit and had direct contact with goats, sheep, piglets, and calves. Ruminant animals such as goats, sheep, and cows can carry E. coli O157:H7 bacteria in their intestines. The pathogen is shed in their feces, and can contaminate bedding, floors, fences, and gates in the … [Read more...]
Yosemite National Park Stomach Illness Outbreak Sickens Visitors
Federal health officials say a Yosemite National Park stomach illness outbreak has sickened at least a dozen people, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. An investigation has been launched after the reports of illness began, and inspections are being conducted at the service facilities. The illness or origin of the outbreak have not been identified. Those sickened are recovering or have already recovered. There is no information about this outbreak on Yosemite's web site. The concession provider is Aramark. They operate Yosemite's hotels, snack shops, and restaurants. Officials say they are cleaning and disinfecting their venues in the Park, which include the Ahwahnee Hotel. According to NBC News, complaints about Aramark's service have been "numerous," ranging from for food … [Read more...]
Timeline of Three Romaine E. coli O157:H7 Outbreaks
This timeline of three romaine E. coli O157:H7 outbreaks is intended to reduce confusion about the illnesses and the products and restaurants they are linked to or potentially linked to. The three outbreaks are a large multistate outbreak linked to romaine lettuce grown in Salinas, California; an outbreak linked to Fresh Express Sunflower Crisp Chopped Salad Kit that has sickened people in the upper Midwest; and an E. coli outbreak associated with seven Evergreen restaurants in the Seattle, Washington area. Only the outbreak associated with Evergreen restaurants has been declared over. All three of these outbreaks have been named by the FDA as having a common grower, even though the strains of E. coli are different. The FDA notice states, "Currently, the tracebacks on all three … [Read more...]
Seven Seattle Evergreen Restaurants Associated with E. coli Outbreak
There are now seven Seattle Evergreen Restaurants associated with an E. coli O157:H7 outbreak that has sickened 15 people, an increase of two more patients since the last update posted in December 2019. The outbreak appears to be over, according to the Seattle King County Health Department, but the investigation is ongoing. Three people were hospitalized because they were so sick. The seven Seattle Evergreen restaurants named by the health department include Evergreen locations at: Pioneer Square (106 1st Avenue S, Seattle) University District (4609 Village Ter NE, Seattle) Downtown (823 3rd Avenue, Seattle) Chinatown-International District (504 5th Ave South, Seattle) Sammamish Highlands (600 228th Avenue NE, Sammamish) Seattle-Tacoma International Airport … [Read more...]
Norovirus Was a Contributing Cause of New Hampshire Death at Puritan Backroom
The New Hampshire Office of the Chief Examiner (OCME) has determined that norovirus was a contributing cause of death in a person who lived in Hillsborough county in that state. The unnamed person attended an event at the Puritan Backroom in Manchester, New Hampshire on November 24, 2019. The report was completed after an autopsy was conducted. The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services will not release any more information about the deceased person because of federal and state privacy laws, according to the OCME notice. Eighteen people were allegedly sickened with norovirus after eating at the restaurants' function hall the Sunday before Thanksgiving. The public was not informed about this outbreak at the time. Norovirus is a contagious virus that causes … [Read more...]
