The FDA has updated the basil cyclospora outbreak that has now sickened at least 205 people in 11 states. That's an increase of 73 patients since the last update which was posted on July 25, 2019. Five people have been hospitalized because they are so sick. The basil in question is imported from Mexico by Siga Logistics de RL de CV from Morelos. That facility recalled basil on July 24, 2019. Consumers should not buy, eat, or serve any fresh basil imported by Siga Logistics. Do not eat or serve uncooked items such as pesto or salad that may include basil imported from Mexico, unless you are absolutely certain it was not imported by Siga Logistics. If you don't know where the basil you want to use came from, don't use it. The last illness onset in this outbreak occurred on July 18, … [Read more...]
Lake Nokomis E. coli Outbreak Has Sickened 49
The Lake Nokomis E. coli outbreak has now sickened 49 people, including the three confirmed cases of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) in children that were announced earlier this week, according to a news release by the Minnesota Department of Health. That lake is located in Minneapolis. The ill persons are children and adults. About 20% of those sickened are under the age of 10. In all cases, people got sick after swimming at Lake Nokomis between July 16 and August 11, 2019. No one has been hospitalized. Officials said it is not unusual to see an increase in the case count after information about an outbreak has been released. People realize their own illness symptoms may be related to the outbreak. Most of the new cases were identified through a survey the Minnesota … [Read more...]
Hepatitis A Outbreak at Mendham Golf and Tennis Club in New Jersey
A hepatitis A outbreak has sickened 23 people after they visited the Mendham Golf and Tennis Club in Mendham Township, New Jersey. This is a members only club. A food handler was diagnosed with hepatitis A and worked at the club while infectious. One person is "seriously ill," according to the press release by the New Jersey Department of Health. The food handler was excluded from work, and the remaining workers were reviewed for vaccination and proof of immunity from the virus. Close contacts of the food handler were given vaccinations. MGTC notified their members of the risk on July 5, 2019. That notification advices the members to inform anyone who ate with them at the club, and told them to get vaccinations. The food worker was at the club from June 9 and June 30, … [Read more...]
FDA Issues Warning Letter to Tahini Supplier After Salmonella Outbreak
The FDA has issued a warning letter to tahini supplier Brodt Zenatti Holdings in Jupiter, Florida, which imported tahini from Israel that was linked to a multistate Salmonella outbreak this spring. That outbreak sickened at least six people in ten states; one patient was hospitalized. This was the first warning letter issued under the authority of the 2011 Food Safety Modernization Act Final Rule on Foreign Supplier Verification Programs (FSVP) for Importers of Food for Humans and Animals. The FSVP regulation requires that importers perform risk-based activities to make sure that food they import into the U.S. meets applicable food safety standards. FDA has been conducting FSVP inspections since 2017. They help importers understand the requirements and how to make corrective … [Read more...]
Muddy River Dairy Raw Milk Tests Positive for Listeria
Raw milk from Muddy River Dairy in Otsego County, New York has tested positive for Listeria monocytogenes bacteria, according to a news reports. Muddy River Dairy is not allowed to sell raw milk until new testing samples come back without contamination. (The news report lists the county where the dairy is located as Otsego and Otego.) There have not been any reported illnesses linked to this issue. Symptoms of listeriosis, the illness caused by this bacteria, can take up to 70 days to appear. People experience high fever, stiff neck, serious headache, nausea, and diarrhea. Pregnant women are most seriously affected by this infection, and while they may only be mildly ill with what seems like the flu, listeriosis can cause miscarriage, stillbirth, and infection in the … [Read more...]
Hepatitis A Diagnosed in Food Worker at KFC in Moundsville, WV
A food worker has been diagnosed with hepatitis A at the KFC (Kentucky Fried Chicken) restaurant at 122 Lafayette Avenue in Moundsville, West Virginia. No illnesses have. been reported to officials. That person worked at the restaurant between July 22 and August 5, 2019. That means that anyone who ate food or drank beverages there during that time frame may have been exposed to the virus. The risk of transmission is low, but customers should get a hepatitis A or immune globulin vaccination. Unfortunately, those vaccines are only effective if given within two weeks of exposure. Anyone who ate at the KFC in Moundsville, West Virginia After July 30, 2019 is past the two week window, and they should monitor their health for the symptoms of hepatitis A. People who are infected with … [Read more...]
Salmonella Outbreak Associated With Sun View Produce in Chicago
A Salmonella outbreak that has sickened at least four people is associated with Sun View Produce grocery store in Chicago, Illinois. The outbreak started in early July 2019. The patients got sick after eating pork tamales or carnitas that were served from the deli section at that store. Sun View Produce is located at 6110 West 63rd Street in Chicago. If you ate food purchased from the deli section at that store since July 1, 2019, you may have been exposed to Salmonella bacteria. Symptoms of this illness include fever, chills, nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, diarrhea that may be bloody, and symptoms of dehydration. If you have been ill with these symptoms, see your doctor. If you have pork tamales, carnitas, or other hot foods that were purchased from this deli since July 1, … [Read more...]
Salmonella Outbreak at Brixx and Barley Restaurant in Long Beach, NY
A Salmonella outbreak at the Brixx and Barley Restaurant in Long Beach, New York has sickened people. There was no mention of patient numbers, age ranges, or all of the illness onset dates in the statement by the Nassau County Department of Health. We don't know whether or not any patients have been hospitalized. And there is no mention of a possible food source that is being investigated. The Brixx and Barley restaurant has been closed by the Department of health while the investigation is conducted. The restaurant is located at 152 West Park Avenue in Long Beach. Officials think that this outbreak could date back to early July 2019. Salmonella outbreaks at restaurants in the past have been linked to tomatoes, raw tuna, and eggs. The foods that are most often associated with … [Read more...]
Backyard Poultry Salmonella Outbreak Sickens 768 in 48 States
The ongoing backyard poultry Salmonella outbreak has now sickened at least 768 people in 48 states, according to the Centers for Disease control and Prevention (CDC). One hundred twenty-two people have been hospitalized, and two people have died. The only states that do not have any ill persons are Alaska and Delaware. The case count by state is: Alabama (15), Arkansas (11), Arizona (2), California (20), Colorado (14), Connecticut (17), Florida (5), Georgia (6), Hawaii (2), Idaho (8), Illinois (20), Indiana (26), Iowa (14), Kansas (7), Kentucky (30), Louisiana (6), Maine (14), Maryland (17), Massachusetts (27), Michigan (27), Minnesota (13), Mississippi (12), Missouri (27), Montana (3), Nebraska (8), Nevada (1), New Hampshire (7), New Jersey (9), New Mexico (3), New York (38), North … [Read more...]
Cyclospora Outbreak Associated With Workplace Cafeterias in Central Virginia
A cyclospora outbreak that is associated with three workplace cafeterias has sickened people in central Virginia, according to a news release by the Virginia Department of Health. A food or water source of these outbreaks has not been identified by public health officials. The press release states that workplace cafeterias in the following locations are part of the online investigation: Capital One Building at 1600 Capital One Drive in McLean, Virginia; Valo Park Building at 7950 Jones Branch Drive in McLean, Virginia; and CarMax at 12800 Tuckahoe Creek Parkway in Richmond, Virginia. These cafeterias are not "widely accessible" to the general public. Officials are working with the business owners to try to solve this outbreak. There are 39 confirmed cases of cyclosporiasis in … [Read more...]
