According to information from the Maricopa County Department of Public Health, the Arizona State Fair is the source of 13 E. coli illnesses in children. Those children all had contact with petting zoos or other animal exhibits before they got sick. The state fair was held from September 19 to October 26, 2025. Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) bacteria can be shed by ruminant animals such as cows, goats, and sheep. Those animals do not have the vascular receptors for the Shiga toxins that STEC bacteria produce, so those toxins cannot destroy red blood cells in those animals as they do in people. Courtney Kreuzwiesner, Preparedness Communications Supervisor for the Maricopa County Department of Public Health told Food Poisoning Bulletin, "The Maricopa County Department of … [Read more...]
New Listeria Outbreak on FDA’s CORE Outbreak Table
There is a new Listeria outbreak on the FDA's CORE Outbreak Table, joining just one other actively investigated outbreak. The Table also has three other outbreaks that are still ongoing, but the investigations into them have ended. The new Listeria monocytogenes outbreak has sickened at least 34 people. We do not know illness onset dates, the patient age range, or if anyone has been hospitalized. Most Listeria outbreaks have high hospitalization rates. The FDA has initiated traceback to try to find the food or foods responsible for these illnesses, but has not inspected any facilities, has not collected or tested samples, and no recall has been issued. The second Listeria monocytogenes outbreak has sickened at least 32 people. In its investigation, the FDA has initiated … [Read more...]
Raw Farm Raw Milk Salmonella E. coli Outbreak Sickens 165
A Raw Farm raw milk Salmonella, STEC E. coli, and Campylobacter outbreak has sickened at least 165 people in four states, according to the California Division of Communicable Disease Control. This outbreak was not publicized when it happened. The other three states have not been named. According to the preliminary results as of February 2, 204, there are 165 people sick in four states. In California, there are 162 cases in 27 local health jurisdictions. There are four multiple pathogen combinations that have sickened these patients: Salmonella Typhimurium, Campylobacter, and/or Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC). Twenty people have been hospitalized. No deaths have been reported. The patient age range is from less than one year to 87 years. And illness onset dates range from … [Read more...]
E. coli Outbreak at Lake Anna in Virginia on Memorial Weekend
An E. coli outbreak at Lake Anna in Richmond, Virginia over the Memorial Day weekend has sickened people, according to the Virginia Department of Health (VDH). The number of patients has not been released, only that VDH has received "numerous reports of GI illnesses, mainly in children." Some of the patients have been hospitalized and diagnosed with E. coli infections. All potential causes of these illnesses, including food and lake water, are being investigated. The symptoms that patients are experiencing include vomiting, stomach cramps, diarrhea that is often bloody or watery, fever, and chills. In severe cases, the infection can lead to hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), which is a type of kidney failure. The notice did not confirm that anyone is suffering from … [Read more...]
Long History of Nut and Nut Product Outbreaks
In the wake of the current E. coli outbreak linked to organic walnuts, there is a long history of nut and nut product outbreaks. Nuts are an agricultural product, and just like leafy greens, herbs, and berries, can be contaminated with pathogenic bacteria. And nuts, like other types of produce, are often eaten without a consumer "kill step," in other words, cooking. History of Nut and Nut Product Outbreaks The current E. coli O157 outbreak allegedly linked to Gibson Farms organic walnuts and walnut pieces has sickened at least 12 people in two states, California and Washington. Seven of those patients have been hospitalized, and two people have developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a type of kidney failure. The walnuts have been recalled. In 2022, a Salmonella Senftenberg … [Read more...]
Eight Hospitalized in Appalachian Fair Tennessee E. coli Outbreak
Eight patients are now hospitalized in the Appalachian Fair Tennessee E. coli outbreak, according to news reports. Dr. David Kirschke, medical director of the Northeast Regional Health Office updated the outbreak on Tuesday, October 17, 2023. Those patients either visited the fair as part of an elementary school field trip, or had contact with some of those children. Four of those hospitalized are seriously ill with complications. E. coli can be passed person-to-person, as well as through contact with animals who carry the pathogen, and eating contaminated food. It's also possible that E. coli in feces may be on the children's shoes. Then when they get home, the pathogens are transferred to rugs and carpets. At the fair, children allegedly had contact with farm animals. Ruminant … [Read more...]
Fueling Minds Kitchen Calgary E. coli Outbreak Critical Violations
Critical violations have been found at the Fueling Minds Kitchen, which supplied food to daycare centers in Calgary, Alberta, that are experiencing a huge E. coli outbreak, according to news reports. At least 264 people are sick with lab-confirmed cases, 25 remain hospitalized, and 22 have developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), which is a type of kidney failure. Several patients have required dialysis. Officials say that this is the largest E. coli outbreak in that province. The inspection report filed after officials went to Fueling Minds Kitchen found several critical violations including the presence of live and dead roaches. The report states that "significant evidence of a pest infestation was found at this food establishment." Two live adult cockroaches were seen on the … [Read more...]
Another Reoccurring E. coli O157:H7 Strain Linked to Leafy Greens
The CDC has identified another reoccurring E. coli O157:H7 strain that is linked to leafy greens outbreaks, according to the September issue of that agency's Emerging Infectious Diseases Dispatch. This strain is in addition to the other reoccurring strain that was mentioned by the CDC in August's Dispatch. Bacterial strains can be identified as reoccurring, emerging, or persisting (REP). Reoccurring strains repeatedly cause acute outbreaks, separated by periods when no illnesses are reported. Emerging strains are previously novel or rare strains that increasingly cause illness. And persisting strains cause illnesses consistently over a long time frame. Whole genome sequencing, which maps a pathogen's DNA, is used to find people sickened by the same bacterial strain. And WGS is … [Read more...]
No New Cases Reported in U of Arkansas E. coli Outbreak
No new cases have been reported in the U of Arkansas E. coli outbreak, according to the Arkansas Department of Health. That outbreak sickened at least 42 people, and four people were hospitalized because they were so ill. There have been no new cases reported since the last U of Arkansas E. coli outbreak update that was issued on August 25, 2023. And all of the previously hospitalized patients who tested positive for E. coli have been discharged. As of the August 31, 2023 update, 37 of those cases were probable based on reported symptoms, while five cases were confirmed with positive tests. The four hospitalized patients tested positive. Results from food samples taken for testing have not pointed to the source of the August outbreak. And the Department of Health has confirmed … [Read more...]
What is the History of Outbreaks Linked to Flour?
With the newest identified outbreak on the FDA CORE Outbreak Investigation Table a Salmonella Infantis outbreak linked to flour, the question arises: What is the history of outbreaks linked to flour? Because flour is dry and seems so inert, many people assume that it could not harbor pathogens. But flour is a raw agricultural product, and can be contaminated in the field by birds and animals, during harvest, during transportation, and during processing. Many pathogens can survive with very little water. And no "kill step," that is, heating the grain to a temperature high enough to destroys pathogens, is used when flour is processed. That's why food safety experts warn consumers to be careful handling flour, and to avoid eating raw cookie dough and cake batter made with untreated … [Read more...]
