The mystery Salmonella Typhimurium outbreak has grown again according to the FDA's CORE Outbreak Investigation Table. There are four other active outbreak investigations currently on the Table. The Salmonella Typhimurium outbreak, which was first posted on November 16, 2022, has now sickened 270 people, up from 269 people the last time the Table was updated. This is a very large outbreak to not be associated with a food. The government has initiated traceback and also sample collection and analysis, so perhaps an outbreak investigation notice is coming soon. There is no informantion about illness onset dates, patient age ranges, or if anyone has been hospitalized. For the Listeria monocytogenes outbreak that is linked to Enoki mushrooms that were imported from Korea, the case … [Read more...]
Monical’s Pizza in IL Temporarily Closed After Illnesses Reported
Monical's Pizza, in Washington, Illinois, has temporarily closed after reports of illness, according to news reports. About 150 patrons reported symptoms of vomiting, diarrhea, stomach cramps, chills, and nausea, according to the Tazewell County Health Department. The Illinois Department of Public Health issued the closure. Patients are reportedly recovering within 12 to 24 hours. The restaurant is located at 6 Cherry Tree Shopping Center in Washington, Illinois. It closed on Saturday, November 26, 2022 and may open today. The closure will give the restaurant time to conduct a deep cleaning and discard food. The employees of Monical's Pizza will be retrained on personal hygiene, handwashing, and when to report illness. The cause of the illnesses has not yet been determined. Given … [Read more...]
Dai One Foods Raw Oysters Linked to Sapovirus Outbreak
Dai One Foods raw oysters are linked to a sapovirus outbreak, according to the FDA, which has issued a warning about the shellfish. These oysters were imported from the Republic of Korea. The Southern Nevada Health District notified the FDA of two clusters of illnesses from people who ate the raw oysters at a restaurant in Law Vegas on October 28, 2022 and November 5, 2022. There is one confirmed and nine potential patients. Sapovirus is a highly contagious virus that causes acute gastroenteritis, especially in children. Symptoms include diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, and stomach pain, along with headache, fever, and body aches. Most people get sick about 12 to 48 hours after exposure to the virus, and the illness lasts about one to four days. Anyone who has recently consumed raw … [Read more...]
FDA’s CORE Outbreak Investigation Table Updated
The FDA's CORE Outbreak Investigation Table has been updated to include more information about three of the current investigations. This table does not provide a lot of information about outbreaks. It just informs consumers that outbreaks have occurred. For the new Listeria monocytogenes outbreak linked to imported enoki mushrooms, the CDC investigation notice has been added. The outbreak has sickened at least two people in two states; both have been hospitalized. Traceback has been initiated, and sample collection and analysis has also been initiated. For the Salmonella Typhimurium outbreak in an unidentified food, the case count has increased from 264 cases to 269 cases. Traceback was initiated and sample collection and analysis has begun. It's unusual that an outbreak this … [Read more...]
New Listeria Outbreak Linked to Enoki Mushrooms Sickens Two
A new Listeria outbreak linked to enoki mushrooms has been announced by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). At least two people in two states are sick. The case count by state is: Michigan (1) and Nevada (1). The patient age range is from 30 to 42. Illness onset dates range from October 5, 2022 to October 8, 2022. Both patients have been hospitalized. And both reported eating enoki mushrooms or eating at restaurants that served items containing enoki mushrooms before they got sick. Whole genome sequencing conducted on patient isolates showed that they likely both got sick from eating the same product, since they are closely related genetically. And in November 2021, the FDA found Listeria monocytogenes in one sample of enoki mushrooms that were collected at … [Read more...]
FDA Adds Salmonella Outbreak; USDA Adds E. coli Outbreak
FDA adds Salmonella outbreak to its CORE Outbreak Investigation Table, while the USDA adds an E. coli O157:H7 outbreak to theirs, which may be associated with beef. Very little information has been provided for these new outbreaks. For the new outbreak of Salmonella Typhimurium on the FDA site, the food has not yet been identified. There are currently 264 cases, which is a very high case count for an unidentified outbreak. The FDA is working with partners to investigate "multiple food items of interest" to try to determine the cause of this outbreak. Traceback has been initiated. The new E. coli O157:H7 outbreak on the USDA table is suspected to be linked to beef. There is no information about patient case counts, patient ages, states where ill persons live, or what type of beef … [Read more...]
Child Labor at JBS Meat Packing Plants Uncovered in Lawsuit
Child labor at JBS meat packing plants in Minnesota and Nebraska has allegedly been uncovered in a court injunction. No employer in the United States can use any oppressive child labor in commerce or in the production of goods for commerce. Children aged 14 and 15 can be employed outside school hours but only in specified non-manufacturing and non-hazardous jobs, for limited periods of time and under specific conditions. Children were allegedly seen working on the killing floor, which is specifically prohibited under the Department of Labor's Child Labor Regulations. Children are only allowed to be messengers on killing floors, or similar occupations that require them to enter the area infrequently and only for short periods of time. No child may work on "meat patty forming … [Read more...]
New Listeria Monocytogenes Outbreak Added to FDA CORE Table
A new Listeria monocytogenes outbreak has been added to the FDA's CORE Outbreak Investigation Table. This investigation joins four other active outbreak investigations on that Table. In the new outbreak, which is not the same as the new Listeria outbreak linked to deli meats and cheeses in the upper northeastern part of the United Sates, at least two people are sick. A possible source of the pathogen has not been identified. Traceback has been initiated, but no recall has been issued, there has been no on-site inspection, and no sample collection or analysis. We do not know the patient age range, illness onset dates, or whether or not anyone has been hospitalized. There is one other mystery outbreak on the Table: an E. coli O157:H7 outbreak in a not yet identified food that has … [Read more...]
Most Deli Meat and Cheese Listeria Cases Are in New York State
In the latest outbreak, most of the deli meat and cheese Listeria cases are in New York, according to the FDA and CDC. Seven of the 16 cases live in that state. In fact, among seven patients from New York who were interviewed, five said they bought sliced deli meat or cheese from at least one location of NetCost Market. In 2021, the outbreak strain of Listeria monocytogenes was found in several environmental and food samples during inspections at NetCost Markets in Brooklyn and Staten Island. Then, in September 2022, the outbreak strain was found in the same Brooklyn NetCost Market. That store is not linked to the most recent illnesses, however. That suggests that this may be an ongoing issue, especially since illness onset dates extend back to April 2021. But investigators do … [Read more...]
Three Sick in E. coli O157:H7 Outbreak in King County, Washington
Three people are sick in an E. coli O157:H7 outbreak in King County, Washington, according to information from the King County Health Department. No one has been hospitalized and no deaths have been reported. And no source for the pathogen has been identified. Three people from three separate households have been sickened with Shiga toxin-producing E. coli bacteria (STEC). The illness onset dates range from October 4 through October 16, 2022. The patient age range is from 18 to 36 years. Confirmed cases are linked through whole genome sequencing, which means they likely have a common source of infection. Two out of those three patients reported eating dishes that were prepared with raw or undercooked beef before they got sick. But officials cannot rule out other possible sources … [Read more...]
