The FDA has added a new Salmonella Hartford outbreak to its CORE Outbreak Investigation Table. It joins three other outbreak investigations that are still active as of March 8, 2023. The Salmonella Hartford outbreak has sickened at least 31 people so far. No food has been identified yet. There is no information about illness onset dates, if anyone has been hospitalized, or the patient age range. So far, traceback has been initiated in this outbreak investigation. The hepatitis A outbreak investigation has been updated. There are now just five illnesses in that outbreak. That number was reduced from nine cases, after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) excluded some suspect cases from the overall count. Sample collection and analysis, along with traceback, has … [Read more...]
Norovirus on Cruise Ships Return After Pandemic
So far this year there has been one norovirus outbreak, and three other outbreaks with symptoms of norovirus on cruise ships, after the Covid-19 pandemic interrupted those vacations, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Norovirus outbreaks are common on these ships, partly because of the enclosed spaces and partly because the highly contagious virus spreads easily in crowded conditions. On the Arcadia, from P&O Cruises, 86 passengers and 20 crew members were sickened with norovirus out of 1,752 passengers and 815 crew members. In response to this outbreak, the crew increased cleaning and disinfection procedures, collected stool specimens from patients, and notified embarking guests about the situation. Brilliance of the Seas, a ship from Royal … [Read more...]
FDA on Wild Harvest Oysters Salmonella Outbreak in FL GA AL
FDA is weighing in on the wild harvest oysters Salmonella outbreak that has sickened at least eight people in Florida, Georgia, and Alabama. Any retailers and restaurants that have received wild harvest oysters from harvest area FL-3012 in Cedar Key, Florida, harvested between December 16, 2022 and February 24, 2023 should be discarded. Consumers who bought those oysters at retail in those three states should also discard them. The FDA says it's possible that other states may have received the oysters. So if you purchased raw oysters, check the packaging to see if they were harvested in that area. A Salmonella outbreak linked to those oysters has been detected by the state health departments in Florida, Georgia, and Alabama. Eight cases are linked to this outbreak. We do not … [Read more...]
Raw Oyster Salmonella Outbreak Sickens Eight in FL, GA, AL
A raw oyster Salmonella outbreak has sickened at least eight people in Florida, Georgia, and Alabama, according to the Florida Department of Health. And a recall of oysters has been issued. We do not know the patient age range, illness onset dates, or whether or not anyone has been hospitalized. The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services closed shellfish harvesting area FL-3012 in Cedar Key, Florida for the harvest of wild oysters on February 24, 2023. A recall of those oysters from that area that were harvested from December 16, 2022 to February 24, 2023 has been issued. If you bought these oysters harvested from that area, do not eat them, or if you sell them or own a restaurant, do not serve them, even if you plan to cook them first because of the possibility … [Read more...]
Sun Sprouts Alfalfa Sprouts Salmonella Outbreak Ends
The Sun Sprouts alfalfa sprouts Salmonella Typhimurium outbreak has ended, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) with 63 sick in eight states. That is an increase of 48 more patients and five more states since the last update on December 30, 2022. Ten people were hospitalized because they were so sick. The sprouts were recalled on December 29, 2022. The case count by state is: Arizona (1), Iowa (6), Kansas (6), Missouri (9), Nebraska (26), New Hampshire (1), Oklahoma (1), and South Dakota (13). New states added to this outbreak are Arizona, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and New Hampshire. The patient age range is from less than one to 83 years. Of 59 people who gave information about their health to government officials, 10 were hospitalized. The illness onset … [Read more...]
Persistent Strain of E. coli O157:H7 in United States, Says CDC
The CDC says that there is a persistent strain of E. coli O157:H7 in the United States that has caused illnesses and outbreaks. Illnesses caused by this strain, REPEXH01, occur year round but are less common in the winter. This strain has sickened people through contaminated food and contaminated recreational water. Persistent is a term used by the CDC to describe strains that have caused illnesses for years. Even though the number of illnesses may change over time, they continue to cause sickness. And these strains are sometimes linked to more than one course, making them more difficult to control. The strain is "relatively" diverse genetically, within 21 allele differences of one another. That is more diverse than pathogens that cause typical multistep foodborne illnesses … [Read more...]