The raw turkey Salmonella Reading outbreak has grown to include 279 sick people, according to an update by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Of those patients, 107 people have been hospitalized, and one person who lived in California has died. That's an addition of 63 more people from 24 states and the District of Columbia. Illness onset dates range form November 20, 2017 to January 29, 2019. The patient age range is from less than 1 year to 101. Forty-eight percent of patients have been hospitalized. The case count by state is: Alabama (4), Alaska (2), Arizona (4), Arkansas (1), California (26), Colorado (6), Connecticut (4), Delaware (1), District of Columbia (4), Florida (12), Georgia (2), Hawaii (2), Idaho (4), Iowa (4), Illinois (23), Indiana (7), Kansas … [Read more...]
Final Investigation of Romaine E. coli O157:H7 Outbreak: Questions Remain
The FDA has released a report on its investigation into the romaine E. coli O157:H7 outbreak that occurred during the fall and early winter of 2018. At least 62 people in 16 states were sickened in this outbreak. Twenty-five people were hospitalized, and two developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a type of kidney failure. In November 2018, the FDA took the extraordinary step of telling consumers to avoid all romaine lettuce from all sources until they had more information on the outbreak. Officials eventually found contamination at one particular farm in California, but couldn't explain the entire outbreak. Adam Bros. Farming That farm, Adams Bros. Farming, was located in Santa Anna County in California. Officials found the outbreak strain of E. coli O157:H7 in sediment … [Read more...]
CDC Again Warns Consumers About Brucellosis in Raw Milk
The Centers For Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is again warning the public in 19 states about the potential exposure to Brucella RB51 in 19 states, connected to consuming raw milk from Miller's Biodiversity Farm in Quarryville, Pennsylvania. One case of brucellosis was confirmed in New York in November 2018. Three people in the U.S. have been diagnosed with brucellosis after drinking raw milk since 2017. An unknown number of people, estimated to be in the hundreds, may have been exposed to the bacteria from drinking unpasteurized milk from this farm, a farm in Texas, and an online retailer. A cow that tested positive for the pathogen has been removed from the Miller's Biodiversity Farm milking herd. In late December 2018, raw milk and raw milk products from Miller's … [Read more...]
Raw Turkey Salmonella Reading Outbreak Investigation Updated
The raw turkey Salmonella Reading outbreak has been updated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The case count remains the same as it was in the last update - 216 sick in 38 states, with 84 hospitalizations and one death in California. But another product has been tied to illnesses. The case count by state is: Alabama (4), Alaska (2), Arizona (3), Arkansas (1), California (16), Colorado (6), Connecticut (3), Delaware (1), District of Columbia (2), Florida (8), Georgia (2), Hawaii (1), Idaho (2), Iowa (4), Illinois (21), Indiana (5), Kansas (1), Kentucky (1), Maryland (5), Massachusetts (3), Michigan (8), Minnesota (18), Missouri (3), Nebraska (1), New Jersey (9), New York (15), North Carolina (8), North Dakota (2), Ohio (8), Oklahoma (2), Oregon (2), Pennsylvania … [Read more...]
Listeria Outbreak Linked to Long Phung Pork Ends With 4 Sick
The Listeria monocytogenes outbreak linked to Long Phung pork products has ended with four sick, according to the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). All four patients were hospitalized because they were so sick. Those patients live in Louisiana, Michigan, Tennessee, and Texas. The 165368 C. Corporation of Houston, Texas, doing business as Long Phung Food Products, recalled their ready-to-eat pork products for possible contamination. They were labeled with the establishment number "EST. 13561" inside the USDA mark of inspection. They were sold nationwide. The outbreak appears to be over as of January 29, 2019. Listeria specimens from ill persons were collected. Whole genome sequencing was conducted on that bacterial DNA and found that all of those sickened were … [Read more...]
Two 2018 Listeria Monocytogenes Outbreaks Sicken 8, Kill One
There were just two Listeria monocytogenes outbreaks in the U.S. in 2018, but the results were severe. In all, eight people were sickened, all eight were hospitalized because they were so sick, and one person died. The first outbreak was linked to Johnston County Hams. Four people in 2 states were sickened. One person, who lived in Virginia, died. On October 3, 2018, Johnston County Hams recalled ready-to-eat deli hams. One of the problems with deli meats is that the pathogen can survive the standard cleaning procedures most delis use. In that outbreak, public health investigators used the PulseNet system to find people who were infected with the outbreak strain of Listeria monocytogenes. The illness onset date ranged from July 8, 2018 to August 11, 2018. Three patients lived in … [Read more...]
E. coli Outbreaks in 2018 Sickened 296
Three E. coli outbreaks in 2018 sickened at least 296 people. These outbreaks were linked to romaine lettuce and ground beef. E. coli illnesses are serious because if a patient is under the age of five, they can develop hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), as a complication. That complication can cause kidney failure, strokes, seizures, and death. The E. coli outbreaks of 2018 included the strains O157:H7 and O26. There are six non-O157 E. coli strains that produce shiga toxins. Those toxins travel through the bloodstream, destroying red blood cells, which then clog tiny tubes in the kidneys. They also travel to the brain and can cause strokes. Patients sickened in this outbreak did develop that complication. One hundred twenty seven people were hospitalized, 29 developed HUS, and … [Read more...]
Salmonella Outbreaks in 2018 Sickened 1,394 People
Salmonella outbreaks linked to food products in 2018 were numerous and severe; 15 were multistate. In fact, seven of the top 10 multistate outbreaks of the year were caused by different strains of Salmonella bacteria. By July 2018, there were five multistate outbreaks that sickened at least 553 people. In all, at least 1,394 people were sickened by Salmonella in ground beef, chicken salad, pasta salad, turkey, cereal, tahini, cake mix, chicken, eggs, and melons. And six of these outbreaks are still ongoing. The words "at least" are used because most people who contract Salmonella infections never see a doctor, so are not diagnosed and added to an outbreak total. Epidemiologists use what is called a "multiplier" to estimate the actual number sickened in Salmonella outbreaks. That … [Read more...]
E. coli O157:H7 Romaine Lettuce Outbreak Ends With 62 Sick
The latest E. coli O157:H7 romaine lettuce outbreak has ended with 62 sick, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Those people live in 16 states and the District of Columbia. The case count by state is: California (12), Connecticut (1), Washington DC (1), Florida (1), Georgia (1), Illinois (2), Louisiana (1), Massachusetts (1), Maryland (1), Michigan (7), New Hampshire (6), New Jersey (13), New York (7), Ohio (1), Pennsylvania (5), Rhode Island (1), and Wisconsin (1). Illness onset dates ranged from October 7, 2018 to December 4, 2018. Twenty-five people were hospitalized because they were so sick. Two people developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a type of kidney failure. The FDA, CDC, and state partners investigated farms and cooling facilities in … [Read more...]
Top 10 Multistate Food Poisoning Outbreaks of 2018
There were many food poisoning outbreaks in 2018. Thousands of people were sickened, many were hospitalized, and some died. This is a summary of the top 10 multistate food poisoning outbreaks of the year. Many lawsuits were filed in response to these outbreaks. McDonald's Cyclospora Outbreak. This outbreak sickened at least 511 people in 16 states, mostly concentrated in the Midwest. FDA investigators found the cyclospora oocyst in a sample of Fresh Express romaine and carrot mix that was used to make the salads. JBS Tolleson Ground Beef Salmonella Outbreak. This outbreak, which has not been declared over, has sickened at least 333 people in 28 states. The company has recalled more than 12,000,000 pounds of ground beef products that were sold in Kroger stores and elsewhere around … [Read more...]
