A secret E. coli O157:H7 outbreak has sickened 21 people, hospitalized 8, and killed one person living in Michigan, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This outbreak was announced late last night. It is one of two outbreaks announced at the same time that may have connections to leafy greens. The patient case count by state is: California (7), Florida (1), Illinois (1), Michigan (2), New Jersey (1), Ohio (7), Utah (1), and Wisconsin (1). Illness onset dates range from June 6, 2020 to October 5, 2020. The patient age range is from 2 to 75 years. Fifty percent of ill persons who gave information to investigators were hospitalized. One person developed HUS, and one death was reported from Michigan. Investigators have identified and illness cluster at a … [Read more...]
CDC Announces Two Mystery E. coli Outbreaks; Leafy Greens?
Tonight the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced two mystery E. coli outbreaks that may be linked to leafy greens that have sickened 44 people and hospitalized 18; three have developed HUS and one person has died. In the first outbreak, 21 people in 8 states are ill. Eight people have been hospitalized, and one person who lived in Michigan has died. Illness onset dates range from June 6, 2020 to October 5, 2020. The patient age range is from 2 to 75 years. Of 16 people who gave information to investigators, eight were hospitalized. One person developed HUS. The patient case count by state is: California (7), Florida (1), Illinois (1), Michigan (2), New Jersey (1), Ohio (7), Utah (1), and Wisconsin (1). The strain of E. coli O157:H7 causing illness in … [Read more...]
History of Romaine E. coli Outbreaks Over the Last Three Years
There has not yet been a romaine E. coli outbreak in the United States in 2020, but the year isn't over yet. Let's take a look back at the history of romaine E. coli outbreaks, including leafy greens, over the past three years. There was one outbreak in 2017, two in 2018 and three in 2019. In all of these outbreaks, the romaine lettuce in question was harvested either in the Yuma Arizona region or in the Central California region of the country. Many recalls were issued in regards to all of these outbreaks. This is the history of romaine E. coli outbreaks over the past three years. Leafy Greens E. coli O157:H7 Outbreak in 2017 In November 2017, the CDC announced an E. coli O157:H7 outbreak linked to leafy greens. At least twenty-five people in 15 states were sickened. Nine people … [Read more...]
Will There Be a 2020 E. coli Romaine Lettuce Outbreak?
Food safety experts are holding their collective breath. Now that fall is here, will there be a 2020 E. coli romaine lettuce outbreak? In previous years, by this time there has been at least one serious outbreak linked to leafy greens. Is our luck about to run out? Or have changes made by the California and Arizona Leafy Greens Marketing Agreements and government made a difference? There has been at least one E. coli outbreak in the U.S. linked to leafy greens every year since 2017; hundreds have been sickened, dozens have been hospitalized, and several people died. One of the issues in these outbreak developments, especially in the past several years, has to do with climate. When there has been an unusually hot and dry summer, farmers in California and Arizona have to use more … [Read more...]
FDA Investigation Into Three Fall 2019 Romaine E. coli O157:H7 Outbreaks
The FDA has released a report detailing their investigation into three fall 2019 romaine E. coli O157:H7 outbreaks that sickened at least 188 people. That agency worked with the FDA and state officials to investigation how the romaine lettuce was contaminated. The romaine E. coli O157:H7 outbreaks began in September 2019 and were declared over in January 2020. Some clusters within each of these outbreaks were traced to a common grower with multiple ranches and fields in the Salinas, California growing region. That grower was not named. Investigators found one of the outbreak strains of E. coli O157:H7 in a sample taken from public land less than two miles upslope from a produce farm with multiple fields that was identified during traceback investigations. Other Shiga … [Read more...]
FDA Releases 2020 Leafy Greens Action Plan After Romaine E. coli. Outbreaks
The FDA has released its 2020 Leafy Greens STEC Action Plan after the E. coli O157:H7 outbreaks linked to romaine lettuce in the past few years sickened hundreds. In fact, in 2019 alone, there were three E. coli O157:H7 romaine lettuce outbreaks that sickened more than 170 people and hospitalized more than 85 patients. Between 2009 and 2018, the FDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) identified 40 foodborne outbreaks of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) infections in the U.S. with a confirmed or suspected link to leafy greens. This illness can cause serious and life-threatening complications, including hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a type of kidney failure. Part of the problem is the nature of leafy greens and especially romaine lettuce. Most are grown … [Read more...]
Leafy Greens Industry Frustrated By Recurring E. coli Outbreaks
Will there be another E. coli outbreak linked to leafy greens this year? Since 2017, there has been at least one multistate E. coli O157:H7 outbreak linked to romaine lettuce every year. Outbreaks linked to packaged salads and other leafy greens go back to 2010. And every year, the outbreak is unsolved, with the FDA and CDC unable to pinpoint where the contaminated greens originated. The leafy greens industry is frustrated. The California Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement group (LGMA) adopted new rules for its members last year, asking them to increase the buffer zone between between farm fields and animal feedlots, to clean equipment daily, to improve traceability, and to review the impact of severe weather on crops. Growers should now categorize the source of water used on their … [Read more...]
FDA Investigation of Romaine Multistate E. coli O157:H7 HUS Outbreak
The FDA has announced that the romaine multistate E. coli O157:H7 HUS outbreak is over after sickening 167 people in 27 states. The romaine lettuce that. made people sick is no longer on the market, since it was grown and harvested in the Salinas, California region and that area's growing season is over. The case count by state is: Arizona (4), California (8), Colorado (6), Delaware (1), Florida (4), Iowa (1), Idaho (4), Illinois (15), Maryland (5), Michigan (2), Minnesota (7), Montana (1), North Carolina (3), Nebraska (2), New Jersey (9), New Mexico (2), New York (3), Ohio (12), Oregon (1), Pennsylvania (21), South Carolina (1), South Dakota (1), Tennessee (1), Texas (6), Virginia (6), Washington (6), and Wisconsin (35). Patient illness onset dates ranged from September 20, 2019 to … [Read more...]
It’s National Pizza Week: Are Pizzas Linked to Outbreaks?
It's National Pizza Week! Have pizzas been linked to any food poisoning outbreaks in the U.S.? The answer is yes. The ingredients in pizza that could be problematic include flour in the dough, cheeses, produce such as leafy greens, and any type of meat toppings. But since pizzas are usually cooked so thoroughly, how can people get sick? There are three answers to that question: handling the pizzas before they are cooked, cross-contamination, and microwave cooking. Raw dough is considered a risky food, since flour used to make it has long been associated with E. coli O157:H7 outbreaks, from the Nestle raw cookie dough outbreak in 2009, to the General Mills flour E. coli outbreak in 2016 that sickened 63, to the E. coli O157:H7 outbreak linked to ADM Milling flour last year that … [Read more...]
FDA Weighs in on Fresh Express Sunflower Crisp E. coli Outbreak
The FDA is weighing in on the Fresh Express Sunflower Crisp E. coli O157:H7 outbreak that sickened 10 people in 5 states. Four people were hospitalized and one patient developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a type of kidney failure. This salad mix also made 25 people sick in Canada, where the Fresh Express product was recalled. There was no recall issued in the U.S. The contaminated Fresh Express Sunflower Crisp Chopped salad kits that made people sick are "likely no longer available on the market," according to the FDA statement. The outbreak has ended as of January 15, 2020 after sickening 1 person in Georgia, Illinois, and North Dakota; three in Wisconsin; and four in Minnesota. Once again, the FDA states that this outbreak, the outbreak associated with Evergreen … [Read more...]
