The Busseto Charcuterie Sampler has sickened at least one person in Minnesota with a Salmonella infection, according to the Minnesota Department of Health. Officials are warning people in Minnesota not to eat this sampler, which contains prosciutto, sweet sopressata, and dry coppa. The sampler was sold at Sam's Club and other retailers in the state. There is no mention about whether or not a recall has been, or will be, issued in relation to this illness. One person reported getting sick in December after consuming a Busseto Charcuterie Sampler that was purchased at Sam's Club. That person was not hospitalized. Staff from the Minnesota Department of Agriculture collected and tested an unopened package of that sampler from the patient's home. The product tested positive for … [Read more...]
Top 10 Food Poisoning Outbreaks of 2023
These are the top 10 food poisoning outbreaks of 2023. To be included in this list, the outbreaks must have sickened at least two people in different states. The outbreaks were linked to food that ranged from cantaloupe to flour to ground beef to raw cookie dough to dry dog food. The number one outbreak is the deadly Salmonella cantaloupe outbreak that has sickened at least 302 people in 42 states, with 129 patients hospitalized. This outbreak is still ongoing. Four people have died in this outbreak. Three lived in Minnesota and one lived in Oregon. Many recalls have been issued as a result of this outbreak. If you purchased cantaloupe recently, make sure that the fruit is not part of any of these recalls. If you aren't positive, or if you froze cantaloupe in the last two months, … [Read more...]
CDC Says 287 Kids Have Lead Poisoning From WanaBana Purees
The CDC says that 287 kids have lead poisoning after allegedly consuming WanaBana fruit puree products containing cinnamon. There are 80 confirmed cases, 187 probable cases, and 20 suspect cases. The states where the sick children live are: Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, and West Virginia. The cases are defined as follows. A "suspect" case is anyone with a blood lead level of 3.5 μg/dL (micrograms per decaliter) or higher detected through … [Read more...]
Number One 2023 Outbreak: Deadly Cantaloupe Salmonella
The number one outbreak of 2023 is the deadly cantaloupe Salmonella outbreak that has sickened at least 302 people in 42 states in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Four people are dead; one lived in Oregon and three lived in Minnesota. The cantaloupes were imported from Mexico by Sofia Produce doing business as Trufresh. The case count by state as of December 15, 2023 is: Alaska (1), Arkansas (1), Arizona (14), California (14), Colorado (9), Connecticut (2), Florida (1), Georgia (6), Iowa (8), Illinois (18), Indiana (7), Kansas (2), Kentucky (8), Massachusetts (2), Maryland (6), Michigan (6), Minnesota (26), Missouri (15), Mississippi (1), Montana (2), North Carolina (6), Nebraska (7), New Hampshire (1), New Jersey (6), New Mexico … [Read more...]
Number Two Outbreak of 2023: Deadly Gills Onions Salmonella
The number two outbreak of 2023 is the deadly Gills Onions Salmonella Thompson outbreak that sickened at least 80 people in 23 states. Eighteen people were hospitalized, and one person who lived in Wisconsin died. The outbreak was declared over in mid-December 2023. The case count by state was: Arizona (1), California (17), Colorado (1), Georgia (1), Iowa (1), Idaho (1), Illinois (4), Indiana (2), Kentucky (1) Massachusetts (1), Michigan (6), Montana (2), North Dakota (2), New York (1), Ohio (3), Oregon (3), Tennessee (1), Texas (1), Utah (19), Virginia (3), Washington (4), Wisconsin (4), and Wyoming (1). Illness onset dates ranged from August 2, 2023 to November 11, 2023. The patient age range was from less than one to 90 years. The government interviewed patients about the … [Read more...]
Outbreak Number Three of 2023: Papa Murphy’s Cookie Dough
The number three outbreak of 2023 is the Papa Murphy's Cookie Dough Salmonella outbreak that sickened at least 26 people in six states. The outbreak was also an opportunity for the government to warn consumers that eating uncooked cookie dough made with raw eggs and raw flour is a health hazard. The case count by state was: California (2), Idaho (5), Missouri (1), Oregon (8), Utah (4), and Washington (6). Four people were hospitalized because they were so sick. The patient age range was from 14 to 81 years. Illness onset dates ranged from February 24, 2023 to May 28, 2023. In interviews with government officials, 17 of 22 patients said they ate food from Papa Murphy's before they got sick. Fifteen said they ate Papa Murphy's raw chocolate chip cookie dough or raw S'mores bars … [Read more...]
82 Children Sick After Eating Recalled WanaBana Fruit Purees
There are now at least 82 children sick with lead poisoning after eating recalled WanaBana cinnamon fruit purees, according to the FDA. The FDA is continuing to investigate how the product was contaminated with lead. The case count by state is: Alabama (1), Arkansas (1), California (1), Connecticut (1), Florida (1), Georgia (2), Iowa (1), Illinois (5), Indiana (1), Kentucky (3), Louisiana (4), Massachusetts (3), Maryland (6), Michigan (7), Missouri (2), North Carolina (5), Nebraska (2), New Hampshire (1), New Jersey (1), New Mexico (1), New York (8), Ohio (3), Pennsylvania (2), South Carolina (2), Tennessee (3), Texas (3), Virginia (2), Washington (4), Wisconsin (2), West Virginia (1), and Unknown (3). Report dates range from October 17, 2023 to December 20, 2023. The vast majority … [Read more...]
Number 4 Outbreak of 2023: Leafy Greens Listeria Outbreak
The number 4 outbreak of 2023 is the leafy greens Listeria outbreak that sickened at least 19 people in 16 states, according to the CDC. This outbreak remains a mystery; the government did not name a brand name, farm, or specific type of product that made those people sick. The case count by state was: Arkansas (1), California (1), Colorado (1), Illinois (1), Louisiana (1), Michigan (2), Missouri (1), North Carolina (2), Nebraska (1), New York (1), Oklahoma (1), Pennsylvania (1), South Dakota (1), Texas (1), Washington (1), and Wisconsin (2). Samples were collected from July 3, 2018 to March 31, 2023. The patient age range is from less than 1 to 96 years. Eighteen people were hospitalized because they were so sick. This was a relatively large outbreak for this type of pathogen. … [Read more...]
Number 5 Outbreak of 2023: ShopRite Ground Beef Salmonella
The number five outbreak of 2023 is the ShopRite ground beef Salmonella outbreak that sickened at least 18 people in four states. While traceback didn't identify a common source for the ground beef, most people bought the meat at ShopRite stores in the northeastern United States. The case count by state is: Connecticut (1), Massachusetts (1), New Jersey (11), and New York (5). The patient age range is from 0 to 97 years. Illness onset dates ranged from April 27, 2023 through July 6, 2023. Seven people were hospitalized because they were so sick. Patient isolates were tested with whole genome sequencing were found to be closely related genetically, which means the people likely got sick from eating the same food. Investigators found the outbreak strain of Salmonella in a routine … [Read more...]
Number 6 Outbreak of 2023: Gold Medal Flour Salmonella Outbreak
The number six outbreak of 2023 is the Gold Medal flour Salmonella outbreak that sickened at least 14 people in 13 states. Three people were hospitalized because they were so sick. The case count by state is: California (1), Illinois (2), Iowa (1), Minnesota (1), Missouri (1), Nebraska (1), New Jersey (1), New York (1), Ohio (1), Oregon (1), Tennessee (1), Virginia (1), and Washington (1). Illness onset dates ranged from December 6, 2022 to May 2, 2023. The patient age range was from 12 to 81 years. And of the eight people interviewed by public health officials, seven said they ate raw dough or batter. This is a good reminder that flour is a raw agricultural product that can be contaminated with pathogens, and that no one should eat anything made with flour unless it is … [Read more...]
