An alleged West Seattle PCC Community Markets E. coli outbreak has sickened at least five people, according to Public Health - Seattle & King County. One person has been hospitalized. That facility is located at 2749 California Avenue SW in Seattle, Washington. The strain of E. coli that is allegedly making people sick is Shiga toxin-producing E. coli O157:H7 (STEC). This pathogen produces Shiga toxins, which can travel through the bloodstream destroying red blood cells. If enough damaged red blood cells reach the kidney, they can clog small tubes in that organ called glomeruli and can cause kidney damage and failure, which is known as hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). The illness onset date range is from February 14, 2024 to February 28, 2024. The date that the suspected … [Read more...]
Undercooked Morels Associated With Deadly Outbreak in MT
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is reporting that uncooked and undercooked morels were associated with a deadly outbreak at Dave's Sushi in Bozeman Montana in March and April 2023 that killed two people. Fifty-one people were sickened after eating at that restaurant. Three people were hospitalized. The issue is that while morel mushrooms are considered edible, little is known about the human health effects of the fungi. In the study, the consumption of raw morels was more strongly associated with illness than the consumption of cooked or partially cooked morels. After the outbreak the CDC issued an advisory about eating morel mushrooms, whether cooked or not, saying that wild mushrooms should be consumed at your own risk. Morels were the common food consumed … [Read more...]
Raw Milk E. coli Outbreak Sickens Two In Washington State
A raw milk E. coli outbreak has sickened at least two people in Washington state, according to the Washington State Department of Health. The patients got sick in mid-January and early February 2024. The patients were sickened with the same, highly related strain of Shiga toxin-producing E coli (STEC) bacteria. Both patients drank raw, or unpasteurized, milk, produced by Cozy Vale Creamery in Tenino, Washington, shortly before getting sick. The patients live in two counties: Grays Harbor and Pierce. On February 16, 2024, Cozy Vale Creamery recalled their raw milk and cream because of STEC contamination. The STEC bacteria in the milk was a different strain than the one that caused the two recent illnesses. At this time, there are no known illnesses associated with the strain found in … [Read more...]
Lead Chromate Found in WanaBana Cinnamon Apple Puree
The FDA says that lead chromate was found in WanaBana Cinnamon Apple Puree pouches, which means that anyone who ate it was exposed to chromium as well as lead. These heavy metals can cause serious health problems. The agency added that the leading hypothesis is that this was "likely an act of economically motivated adulteration." Historically, lead chromate has been illegally added to spices to enhance the color and increase the weight of the spice. That increases the monetary value. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says that there are now 468 cases of lead poisoning linked to these products. There are 111 confirmed cases, 320 probable cases, and 37 suspect cases. The states where these patients live include: Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, … [Read more...]
Outbreak at Carnegie Mellon University Stack’d Sickens Students
A food poisoning outbreak at Carnegie Mellon University Stack'd restaurant has sickened "numerous students," according to news reports. Stack'd is the university's on-campus restaurant that is located in the basement of Morewood Gardens Hall. Allegheny County's Health Department in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania is investigating. The reports state that "numerous students" reported experiencing symptoms that are consistent with food poisoning. The pathogen was not named, and no foods were named. And there was no mention about whether or not any of the students were hospitalized. The health department inspected the restaurant on Thursday, February 15, 2024, and allegedly found several high and low risk violations of the food code. The problems included temperature maintenance of … [Read more...]
Retail List For Listeria Rizo-Lopez Dairy Products Released
The retail list for Listeria Rizo-Lopez dairy products that are linked to a deadly Listeria monocytogenes outbreak has been released by the FDA. The list, that is 24 pages long, includes grocery stores from several states. Most of the stores are in California, but there are also stores in Colorado, Illinois, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Washington that are included. This list may not include all retail establishments that received the recall product, or may include stores that did not receive the products. The actual list of recalled products is the most accurate determination. In this outbreak, the patient case count by state is: Arizona (4), California (8), Colorado (4), Florida (1), Georgia (1), Nevada (1), North Carolina (1), Oregon (1), Tennessee (2), Texas (2), and Washington … [Read more...]
FDA Weighs in on Raw Farms Raw Cheddar E. coli O157:H7 Outbreak
FDA weighs in on the Raw Farms raw Cheddar E. coli O157:H7 outbreak that has sickened at least 10 people in four states. Four people have been hospitalized in this outbreak, and one person has developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a type of kidney failure. The cheese has been voluntarily recalled by Raw Farm. The recalled products include original flavor, all sizes of blocks and shredded packages, and Cheddar with added Jalapeño Flavor, all sizes of blocks and shredded packages. The cheese was sold at retailers nationwide. Ill patients have reported buying the cheese at Sprouts Farmers Market and Bristol Farms. The FDA will update the advisory if they discover other retailers who have sold this cheese. The patient case count by state is: California (4), Colorado (3), Texas … [Read more...]
Raw Farms Recalls Raw Cheddar Cheese For E. coli O157:H7
Raw Farms recalls raw Cheddar cheese for possible E. coli O157:H7 contamination. This cheese is linked to an E. coli O157:H7 outbreak that has sickened at least 10 people in four states, with four hospitalizations. The patients live in California, Utah, Colorado, and Texas. The voluntarily recalled products are cheese block older than batch 20231113-1 and shredded cheese older than batch 20240116. The recalled items are Raw Cheddar Cheese - Pound Block with barcode 835204000156 and item number 1075. Also recalled is Raw Cheddar Cheese - Half Pound Block with barcode 835204001177 and item number 1050. Finally, Raw Cheddar Cheese - Half Pound Shred is recalled. The barcode for that item is 1080. All are Raw Farms brand. On February 15, 2024, Raw Farm was contacted by the FDA and … [Read more...]
Raw Farm Raw Cheddar Cheese E. coli Outbreak Sickens 10
A Raw Farm raw Cheddar cheese E. coli outbreak has sickened at least 10 people in four states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Four people have been hospitalized because they are so sick. Raw Farm LLC has agreed to recall products and is working with the FDA. One pound and half pound blocks of the cheese, and half pound shredded cheese was recalled on February 17, 2024. The case count by state is: California (4), Colorado (3), Texas (1), and Utah (2). The patient age range is from two to 58 years. And illness onset dates range from October 18, 2023 to January 29, 2024. One person has developed hemolytic uremic syndrome, a form of kidney failure. The number of patients in this outbreak is likely much higher than reported, and there may be more … [Read more...]
Fratelli Beretta Charcuterie Salmonella Outbreak Sickens 87
The Fratelli Beretta charcuterie Salmonella outbreak has now sickened at least 87 people in 30 states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Eighteen people have been hospitalized. That's an increase of 40 new patients, eight new states, and eight new hospitalizations since the last update on January 18, 2024. The new states are: California, Florida, Iowa, Louisiana, Massachusetts, North Dakota, Oklahoma, and Tennessee,. The case count by state is: Arizona (2), California (1), Colorado (1), Connecticut (1), Florida (2), Idaho (2), Illinois (1), Iowa (2), Kentucky (1), Louisiana (1), Maryland (4), Massachusetts (1), Michigan (1), Minnesota (2), Missouri (2), Nebraska (3), New Jersey (5), New York (9), North Dakota (1), Ohio (13), Oklahoma (1), Oregon (1), … [Read more...]
