In the Seattle E. coli outbreak that has sickened at least seven children, officials now think that some type of produce is the source of the pathogen, according to Seattle King County Public Health. The case count has not changed. All cases are under the age of 15, with three under the age of five. Officials have identified "multiple types of fresh produce, mostly organic," in most of the cases but they cannot as of yet rule out other possibilities of the source of the illnesses. The notice states, "We are still uncertain if these cases share the same source of their infection or not." All of the children have symptoms consistent with a Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) infection, which include abdominal cramps, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea that is often bloody. Two … [Read more...]
Seven Children Sick in Seattle E. coli Outbreak: Produce Possible Source
It’s the Cashews: Seven Sick in Jules Cashew Brie Salmonella Outbreak
It's the cashews. Seven people are sick in the Jules Cashew Brie Salmonella outbreak, according to a new update posted today by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). That is an addition of two more patients since the last update in April. Three people have been hospitalized because they are so sick. And a new strain, Salmonella Urbana, has been added to the original outbreak strain of Salmonella Duisburg. Two people identified in this outbreak are sick with Salmonella Urbana infections. The case count by state is: California (4), Florida (1), and Tennessee (2). The patient age range is from 23 to 72 years. Illness onset dates range from January 31, 2021 to April 8, 2021. But the true number of people sickened in this outbreak is likely much higher than the number … [Read more...]
Seven Children Sick in E. coli Outbreak in King County, Washington State
According to a notice posted by the King County Public Health Department, there are seven children sick in an E. coli outbreak in King County. All are under the age of 14, and three children are under the age of five. Six of the children have been hospitalized. The source of the pathogen has not yet been determined. This new E. coli outbreak in King County has illness onset dates ranging from April 17, 2021 to April 29, 2021. The cases were reported to government officials between April 22, 2021 and May 1, 2021. The investigation is ongoing. Officials have not identified any restaurants, foods, or other sources in common among all of these cases. In fact, investigators do not know if the patients even share the same source of the pathogen. All seven children developed the … [Read more...]
What Are the Current Food Poisoning Outbreaks in the U.S.?
What are the current food poisoning outbreaks in the U.S.? There are three active foodborne illness outbreak investigations that are ongoing, and one outbreak linked to a type of bottled water, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Those four outbreaks do not include the active E. coli O145:H28 outbreak on the FDA's CORE Investigation Outbreak table, which has no food or facility associated with it yet. Salmonella Hadar Ground Turkey Outbreak The first current food poisoning outbreak is the Salmonella Hadar outbreak linked to ground turkey that was last updated on April 12, 2021. At least 28 people from 12 states are sick in that outbreak. Two people have been hospitalized because they are so ill. Three brands of ground turkey have been recalled in … [Read more...]
MMWR on Multistate Outbreak of E. coli O26 Infections Linked to Raw Flour
Most consumers do not recognize that raw, or uncooked, flour, is considered a health risk as this item is a raw agricultural product that has not undergone a kill step to eliminate pathogens. In the April 23, 2021 issue of the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), a study is presented that looked at the 2019 multistate outbreak of E. coli O26 linked to raw flour. On February 20, 2019, PulseNet identified six Shiga toxin-producing E. coli O26:H11 infections with the same DNA fingerprint. This pattern matched infections from a July 2018 outbreak that was associated with ground beef. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) launched an investigation to identify the outbreak source. Investigators first thought the outbreak was linked to ground beef because … [Read more...]
New E. coli O145:H28 Outbreak Sickens 15; Little Information Provided
A new E. coli O145:H28 outbreak has been posted on the FDA's CORE Investigation outbreak table. This new outbreak has sickened at least 15 people. There is no more information provided, which is typical for a posting on that table. The FDA only gives out more information about these outbreaks when they believe there are actionable steps that consumers can take to protect themselves, such as a recall. E. coli O145 is a serotype of E. coli that is part of the Big Six STEC (Shiga toxin-producing E. coli) bacteria group that the government started screening for in 2012. This pathogen produces Shiga toxins, which attack red blood cells that die and travel to the kidneys, where they clog small tubes in that organ and can cause hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), which is a type of kidney … [Read more...]
Real Water Hepatitis Outbreak Increases to 11 Sick and 1 Probable Case
The Real Water hepatitis outbreak has increased to 11 people sick and 1 probable case, according to an update from the FDA. This is a non-viral hepatitis outbreak, which means that particular brand of alkalized water may have caused liver inflammation. This outbreak is not caused by the contagious hepatitis virus. The one probable case meets the case definition but has not been tested for viral hepatitis to rule that out. There are three kinds of non-viral hepatitis. The first is caused by consuming too much alcohol; the second is an auto-immune disease where the immune system attacks the liver; and the third is caused by chemicals, prescription and non-prescription medications, and nutritional supplements. This is an increase of six new cases since the last update was released … [Read more...]
Jules Cashew Brie Salmonella Outbreak: What Is Cashew Brie?
The Jules Cashew Brie Salmonella outbreak has sickened at least five people in three states and hospitalized two people. The outbreak is linked to a food called cashew brie that is vegan. But what is cashew brie? We don't know the exact formula used to make the Jules vegan cheese product. But we do know that cashew brie is a vegan cheese substitute that is made from raw cashews that are soaked in water, then blended with salt and usually inoculated with a safe bacteria that flavors the product. The "cheese" is aged to allow the fermentation process turn the cashew mixture into something that really resembles real cheese. Unfortunately, raw nuts can be contaminated with pathogens. Nuts may not seem like a food that is easily contaminated with bacteria because of their low water … [Read more...]
Jule’s Cashew Brie Salmonella Duisburg Outbreak Sickens 5 in 3 States
The FDA has posted a notice saying that a Jule's Cashew Brie Salmonella Duisburg outbreak has sickened at least five people in three states. The CDC has not yet posted an outbreak investigation notice. Jule's Foods recalled all of their products for possible Salmonella contamination on April 22, 2021. Jule's Cashew Brie is a vegan or plant-based cheese alternative. The firm is located in Carlsbad, California. Salmonella Duisburg is considered a rare serotype of this pathogen. The case count by state is: California (2), Florida (1), and Tennessee (2). Two people have been hospitalized because they are so sick. The last illness onset date was February 27, 2021. We don't yet now the patient age ranges. These products were distributed in these states: Arkansas, California, … [Read more...]
All Jule’s Foods Recalled For Salmonella Contamination and Outbreak
All Jule's Foods recalled for Salmonella contamination and an outbreak, according to an FDA recall notice. The notice states that the FDA and CDC are investigating this outbreak. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has not yet released any information about this outbreak, but there is a new Salmonella Duisburg outbreak that was posted on the FDA's Core Investigation Table on April 22, 2021 with five people sick. We still don't know the patient age range, illness onset dates, or whether anyone has been hospitalized. The FDA has preliminary confirmation of Salmonella in Jule's Foods brie products that contain cashews. The company is working with the FDA to find the source of the pathogen in samples that were collected by the California Department of Public Health. Thus this … [Read more...]
