The CDC says that the first human bird flu death has been reported in Louisiana. There are 66 confirmed human cases of the H5N1 virus so far in the United States as of January 6, 2025. The person who died was over the age of 65 and had underlying medical conditions, according to the Louisiana Department of Health. That person had contact with non-commercial backyard flocks and wild birds. This virus can cause severe illness and death, however, this is the first person who has died from an H5 infection in this country. In other countries, more than 950 cases of human bird flu infections have been reported to the World Health Organization. About half of those people have died. The CDC is assessing the risk to the general public and states that it remains low. No person to person … [Read more...]
2024 Meat and Poultry Recalls Plummet from 2023 Total
In-depth analysis from Food Poisoning Bulletin Meat and poultry producers issued 34 recalls last year, a 48 percent drop from 2023 and the lowest total of the last decade, excluding 2020, according to a Food Poisoning Bulletin review of data published by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA FSIS). "The number of recalls is likely to fluctuate over any given period of time, due to the number of variables that affect whether a recall is necessary to remove adulterated or misbranded product from commerce. Over the last few years, FSIS has pushed for more accountability from industry to produce safe and wholesome products. Through numerous calls, meetings, roundtables and guidance documents, we are proactively engaging with industry on ways to … [Read more...]
Top 10 Food Poisoning Outbreaks of 2024
These are the top 10 food poisoning outbreaks of 2024, in reverse order. There were quite a few outbreaks last year, with many illnesses and a few deaths. These are the top 10, in reverse order, with an addendum of five more outbreaks of interest. Addendum: Five Notable Outbreaks Five outbreaks that were important were added in an addendum this year. They were the Grimmway Farms carrot E. coli O121:H9 outbreak, the Infinite Herbs Salmonella outbreak, the deadly Rico Lopez soft cheese Listeria monocytogenes outbreak, the deadly Yu Shang Listeria monocytogenes outbreak, and the Gibson Farms walnuts E. coli O157:H7 outbreak. Number 10: Boar's Head The 10th outbreak of 2024 was the deadly Boar's Heat deli meat Listeria monocytogenes outbreak that sickened at least 61 people in … [Read more...]
Five More Significant Outbreaks in 2024
There were so many notable food poisoning outbreaks this year that we decided to add a list of five more significant outbreaks of 2024. These outbreaks are notable because people died, because the situation was so unusual, or because the vehicle for the pathogen was unusual. Grimmway Farms Carrot E. coli O121:H9 Outbreak One person died in this outbreak that was linked to recalled Grimmway Farms carrots. The carrots were contaminated with E. coli O121;H9 bacteria. There were 48 people sick in 19 states and twenty people were hospitalized. The case count by state was: Arkansas (1), California (3), Colorado (1), Massachusetts (1), Michigan (1), Minnesota (5), Missouri (1), New Jersey (2), New York (5), North Carolina (1), Ohio (1), Oregon (3), Pennsylvania (1), South Carolina (2), … [Read more...]
Number One Outbreak of 2024 Was Bedner Cucumber Salmonella
The number one outbreak of 2024 was the Bedner cucumber Salmonella outbreak that sickened at least 551 people in 34 states and the District of Columbia. The cucumbers were also sold by Thomas Produce Company. That outbreak ended in August 2024. The case count by state was: Alabama (6), Arkansas (1), California (1), Connecticut (8), Delaware (3), Florida (60), Georgia (48), Illinois (9), Indiana (4), Iowa (5), Kentucky (20), Maine (4), Maryland (17), Massachusetts (11), Michigan (12), Minnesota (10), Mississippi (2), Missouri (4), Nevada (1), New Jersey (22), New York (69), North Carolina (27), Ohio (20), Oklahoma (2), Pennsylvania (68), Rhode Island (8), South Carolina (22), Tennessee (22), Texas (2), Vermont (2), Virginia (48), Washington (1), West Virginia (7), Wisconsin (4), and … [Read more...]
Top 10 2024 Outbreaks: Number Two is WanaBana Lead Poisoning
The top 10 2024 outbreak list continues with number nine: the WanaBana lead illness outbreak. There are at least 500 children sick after eating WanaBana apple sauce pouches, along with Weis cinnamon apple sauce and Schnucks applesauce. The FDA reported 90 children sick, but since these outbreaks are usually much larger than the known cases, we decided to go with the larger CDC number. Each agency used different criteria to identify possible patients. There are 93 confirmed cases of lead poisoning, 233 probable cases, and 28 suspect cases. The patients live in these 41 states: Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, … [Read more...]
Number Three Outbreak of 2024 is Deadly Cantaloupe Salmonella
The number three outbreak of 2024 is the deadly cantaloupe Salmonella outbreak that sickened at least 407 people in 44 states. That outbreak was declared over in January 2024 and is included in this year's list because last year at this time there were only 302 people sick. The case count by state was: Alaska (1), Arizona (15), Arkansas (2), California (56), Colorado (11), Connecticut (2), Florida (4), Georgia (8), Illinois (22), Indiana (9), Iowa (12), Kansas (2), Kentucky (10), Maryland (9), Massachusetts (2), Michigan (7), Minnesota (29), Mississippi (1), Missouri (15), Montana (3), Nebraska (7), Nevada (5), New Hampshire (1), New Jersey (8), New Mexico (2), New York (14), North Carolina (7), North Dakota (1), Ohio (14), Oklahoma (4), Oregon (8), Pennsylvania (5), Rhode … [Read more...]
Number Four Outbreak of 2024: Deadly Diamond Shruumz
The number four outbreak of 2024 was the deadly outbreak linked to recalled Diamond Shruumz microdosing products. There werer 180 people sickened in 34 states. Seventy-three of those patients were hospitalized. Three deaths are potentially associated with these products. The cause of these illnesses is still not known. The case count by state is: Alabama (8), Arizona (13), California (3), Colorado (1), Florida (6), Georgia (21), Idaho (4), Indiana (8), Iowa (6), Illinois (2), Kansas (5), Kentucky (11), Maryland (2), Michigan (2), Minnesota (3), Missouri (1), Montana (3), Nevada (2), New Jersey (3), New York (2), North Carolina (12), North Dakota (3), Ohio (6), Oklahoma (1), Oregon (1), Pennsylvania (2), South Carolina (12), South Dakota (1), Tennessee (9), Texas (19), Virginia (2), … [Read more...]
Top 10 Outbreaks of 2024: Raw Farm Salmonella E. coli 165 Sick
The top 10 list of outbreaks of 2024 continues with the Raw Farm Salmonella E. coli Campylobacter outbreak that sickened at least 165 people. Twenty people were hospitalized. The outbreak was not publicized when it happened. The patients lived in four states, but only California was named by the California CDC. One of the problems with raw milk is that children, who are one of the groups most susceptible to serious complications from food poisoning infections, make up the greatest number of patients in these types of outbreaks. In fact, the median age in this outbreak was 7 years. Thirty-nine percent of the patients were under the age of five. There were three pathogens in the milk: Salmonella Typhimurium, Campylobacter, and Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC). Of 81 patients … [Read more...]
Top 10 Outbreaks of 2024: Number Six McDonald’s Onions
The top 10 outbreaks of 2024 continues with number six: the deadly McDonald's onions E. coli O157:H7 outbreak. In that outbreak, 104 people were sickened, 34 were hospitalized, and one person who lived in Colorado died. That outbreak was declared over on December 3, 2024. The final patient case count was: Colorado (30), Iowa (1), Kansas (3), Michigan (2), Missouri (8), Montana (19), Nebraska (13), New Mexico (10), Oregon (1), Utah (8), Washington (1), Wisconsin (1), and Wyoming (6). Illnesses onset dates range from September 27, 2024 to October 21, 2024. The patient age range was from 1 to 88 years. In this outbreak, four people developed hemolytic uremic syndrome, or HUS, which is a type of kidney failure. The person who died did not have HUS. Taylor Farms provided the fresh … [Read more...]
