The raw ground tuna Salmonella Newport outbreak has ended after sickening 15 people in 8 states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). That tuna, produced at JK Fish in Vietnam, was imported by Jensen Tuna in Louisiana. The case count by state is: Colorado (1), Connecticut (1), Illinois (1), Iowa (1), Minnesota (1), New York (2), North Dakota (4), and Washington (4). Two people were hospitalized in this outbreak. Illness onset dates range from January 8, 2019 to March 31, 2019. The patient age range was from 24 to 85 years. No deaths were reported. Officials used the PulseNet system to find people sickened in this outbreak. Whole genome sequencing performed on the isolates taken from ill persons showed that they were closely related … [Read more...]
Kwik Trip Del Monte Vegetable Trays Linked to Salmonella Outbreak in WI and MN
A new Kwik Trip Del Monte vegetable tray outbreak has sickened three people in Wisconsin and one person in Minnesota with Salmonella food poisoning, according to the Wisconsin Department of Health. Last year, a cyclospora outbreak that was linked to Del Monte vegetable trays, also sold at Kwik Trip and Kwik Star locations in the upper Midwest, sickened at least 250 people. All patients sickened in this outbreak have told officials they ate a Del Monte vegetable tray purchased from a Wisconsin or Minnesota Kwik Tip before they started feeling ill. Kwik Trip is cooperating with the investigation and has removed all Del Monte vegetable trays from their stores. Patients in this new outbreak got sick between April 13 and April 27, 2019. The Wisconsin press release states that it is … [Read more...]
Possible Hepatitis A Exposure at Roy Moore’s Fish Shack in Rockport, MA
The Massachusetts Department of Public Health is warning consumers that if they ate cold food or uncooked food at Roy Moore's Fish Shack in Rockport, Massachusetts between April 21 and May 12, 2019 may have been exposed to hepatitis A. A food service employee of the restaurant who worked there during those dates has been confirmed as sick with hepatitis A. Anyone who ate there after May 6, 2019 can get a hepatitis A or immune globulin vaccination to protect themselves against the illness. Anyone who ate there before May 6, 2019 can only monitor themselves for the symptoms of the illness. The vaccinations are only effective if given within two weeks of exposure. The cold or uncooked foods that were available at Roy Moore's Fish Shack include salads and salad items, rolls, bread, … [Read more...]
CDC Weighs In On Karawan Tahini Salmonella Concord Outbreak
The CDC has weighed in on the Karawan tahini Salmonella Concord outbreak. At least four people in three states are ill in this outbreak. One person has been hospitalized. The base count is: Massachusetts (1), New York (2), and Texas (1). The patient age range is from 8 to 32 years, with a median age of 21. Three of the four patients are female. Illness onset dates range from March 9, 2019 to March 23, 2019. PulseNet investigators are using their nationwide typing system to find people who may be part of this outbreak. Whole genome sequencing performed on isolates taken from ill persons showed they were closely related genetically. That means those people are more likely to share a common source of infection. Epidemiologic, traceback, and laboratory evidence indicates that … [Read more...]
Salmonella Concord Outbreak Linked to Karawan Tahini Sickens Four
A Salmonella Concord outbreak linked to Karawan Tahini and Halva brand tahini has sickened four people in three states and hospitalized one person. The original outbreak notice stated that the tahini was imported from Israel. The recall notice, which was posted on May 16, 2019, says the tahini was imported from Palestine. This outbreak is not related to the 2018-2019 Salmonella Concord outbreak linked to Achdut Tahini. That earlier outbreak, which ended in February 2019, sickened eight people. The tahini in that outbreak was imported from Israel and was sold under several different brand names, including Achdut, Soom, Pepperwood, and Baron. In this new outbreak, the case count by state is: New York (2), Massachusetts (1), and Texas (1). The last illness onset date was March 23, … [Read more...]
Norovirus Outbreak at La Hacienda Restaurant in Madison, WI
About 25 people have been sickened in a norovirus outbreak at La Hacienda restaurant at 515 South Park Street in Madison, Wisconsin, according to news reports. The restaurant was closed on Thursday, May 9, 2019 and remained closed over the weekend as investigators gathered information about the illnesses. The restaurant reopened yesterday, May 14, 2019, after it was cleaned and the investigation was closed. There is no information about the conditions of those sickened or whether or not anyone was hospitalized in this outbreak. Norovirus is very contagious, and can spread through contaminated food and drink, as well as person-to-person contact and contact with contaminated surfaces. The virus causes vomiting and diarrhea with a quick onset. Most people recover within a day or two … [Read more...]
Georgia, Kentucky, Tennessee Hardest Hit in Ground Beef E. coli O103 Outbreak
The states that have been the hardest hit in the ground beef E. coli O103 outbreak are Georgia, Kentucky, and Tennessee. Those states combined have 173 of the 196 people sickened in this outbreak. The outbreak does seem to be slowing down, according to the epidemiological Date of Illness Onset chart. Most cases were diagnosed in mid-March 2019, and have trailed off since then. But even though two companies have recalled raw ground beef products, the outbreak continues to grow. According to the epi chart, there could be as many as 50 more cases in this outbreak before it ends. States are investigating more illnesses that may be part of this outbreak. This outbreak actually begin in Kentucky, when public health officials there noticed a spike in E. coli cases. At first, … [Read more...]
Ground Beef E. coli O103 Outbreak Grows to 196 Sick
The ground beef E. coli O103 outbreak has now sickened at least 196 people in 10 states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Twenty-eight people have been hospitalized because they are so sick. Two people have developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). No one has died. That's an addition of 19 more ill persons since the last update on April 26, 2019. The patient case count by state is: Florida (5), Georgia (49), Illinois (1), Indiana (1), Kentucky (69), Minnesota (1), Mississippi (1), Ohio (12), Tennessee (55), and Virginia (2). The patient age range is from less than 1 year to 84 years, with a median age of 19. The hospitalization rate is 16%. The outbreak notice states that "Ill people in this outbreak ate ground beef from many sources. Some … [Read more...]
Oysters From Mexico Linked to Multistate Shigella Vibrio Outbreak
Oysters from Mexico are linked to a multistate Shigella, Vibrio, E. coli, Campylobacter, and norovirus outbreak, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Some patients were sickened with more than one pathogen. This outbreak was reported by the California Department of Public Health on May 7, 2019; all of the patients at that time lived in California. Now 16 people from five states are ill in this outbreak. Two people have been hospitalized because they are so sick. No deaths have been reported. One recall, by DiCarlo Seafood in Wilmington, California, has been issued. The case count by state is: Alaska (1), California (12), Illinois (1), New Hampshire (1), and Nevada (1). Illness onset dates range from December 16, 2018 to April 4, 2019. The patient age … [Read more...]
Will Two Salmonella Outbreaks Linked to Tuna and Melons Grow?
There are currently two Salmonella outbreaks that have sickened at least 130 people in the U.S.: one is linked to precut melons supplied by Caito Foods, and the other to raw ground frozen tuna supplied by JK Fish and imported by Jensen Tuna. The latest updates for these outbreaks were released in April 2019. Will these Salmonella outbreaks grow? It takes two to four weeks from the time a person eats contaminated food, starts feeling sick, sees their doctor, is tested, and gets the results. The illness is then reported to the government, and isolates from that patient may be sent to PulseNet, the national sub typing network of public health laboratories. The only new information provided in 3-1/2 weeks in the raw tuna outbreak was that the FDA has added JK Fish of Vietnam to an … [Read more...]
