The Earth Grown Falafel E. coli O121 outbreak has ended with 24 sick in six states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). That is an increase of four patients since the last update on October 7, 2022. The case count per state is: Florida (2), Iowa (2), Kansas (1), Michigan (13), Ohio (1), and Wisconsin (5). The patient age range is from under the age of one to 77 years, and illness onset date ranged from July 13, 2022 to October 24, 2022. One person developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a type of kidney failure. Officials interviewed patients about the foods they ate before they got sick. Of the 18 people interviewed, 15, or 83%, said they shopped at Aldi stores. Among those shoppers, 14 ate Earth Grown frozen falafel the week before they got … [Read more...]
It’s Likely That Monical’s Outbreak Was Norovirus
It's likely that the Monical's outbreak was norovirus, according to news reports, since the Tazewell County Health Department found three laboratory-confirmed cases of that type of infection on November 30, 2022. The food poisoning outbreak was announced two days ago, with at least 155 patrons reporting symptoms of stomach cramps, chills, nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting. Monical's Pizza is located at 6 Cherry Tree Shopping Center in Washington, Illinois. It was closed by the Illinois Department of Health for deep cleaning, food disposal, and employee training, but reopened on November 29, 2022. Investigators further revealed that the virus was probably transmitted through high touch surfaces, or fomites. The virus is very contagious, and is spread through person-to-person contact, … [Read more...]
Mystery Salmonella Typhimurium Outbreak Grows Again
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...]
How Do You Know If You Have a Bacillus Cereus Infection?
Bacillus cereus infections are very common in the United States. This pathogen causes about 63,000 cases of food poisoning every year in this country. It is responsible for the so-called "fried rice syndrome," where people get sick after eating reheated rice. The problem with fried rice is that when rice is cooled at room temperature, the bacteria present in that product can grow and produce toxins. And those toxins are not destroyed by heat. So when that leftover rice is used to make fried rice, people can get sick. Rice isn't the only vehicle for this pathogen, however. It is also associated with dishes containing potatoes, pasta, and cheese. And food poisoning associated with this pathogen is common in catering situations and restaurants. One of the toxins this pathogen … [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...]
Expert Advice: Don’t Eat Enoki Mushrooms At This Time
Consumer Reports is offering expert advice on enoki mushrooms: Just don't eat them at this time. That type of mushroom is linked to a new Listeria monocytogenes outbreak that has sickened at least two people in two states. Two years ago, a deadly Listeria outbreak was also linked to enoki mushrooms that were likely imported from Korea. At least 36 people in 17 states were sickened. Thirty-one people were hospitalized, four people died, and there were two fetal losses. That outbreak prompted the FDA, in July 2022, to issue a country-wide import alert for enoki mushrooms imported from the Republic of Korea. That allows officials to "detain without physical examination." FDA testing found that 43% of enoki mushrooms sampled from that country were contaminated with Listeria … [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...]
