The E. coli O26 outbreak linked to Chipotle restaurants in six states hasn't been updated in more than 10 days. This outbreak has been strange. The case count grew to include 50 patients, then that number was reduced to 37. Then the case count grew to 45 patients, and four more states were added to the outbreak base. As of November 20, 2015, there are 45 people sickened in six states. The case count per state is: California (2), Minnesota (2), New York (1), Ohio (1), Oregon (13), and Washington state (26). There are no reports of hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), and no deaths. No food or environmental samples have yielded the outbreak strain of the shiga toxin-producing bacteria. But 43, or 96%, of ill patients said they ate at a Chipotle Mexican Grill restaurant the week before they … [Read more...]
FDA Investigates E. coli O26 Outbreak at Chipotle in WA and OR
The FDA is investigating the E. coli O26 outbreak at Chipotle restaurants in Washington state and Oregon. As of November 12, 2015, 50 people have been sickened in those states after eating at the restaurant chain. Fourteen people have been hospitalized. There have been no reports of hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) and no deaths in this outbreak to date. One outbreak strain of E. coli O26 has been included in this outbreak investigation. Thirty-three isolates from ill persons in Washington and Oregon have been uploaded to the CDC PulseNet database. All 33 people have been infected with the same DNA fingerprint of E. coli O26, which means they were all sickened at the same place or by the same source. All of the Chipotle restaurants that were voluntarily closed after this outbreak have … [Read more...]
Apple Cider Outbreak in Pike County, IL Grows to 70 Sick
The food poisoning outbreak linked to apple cider consumed and sold at the Pike County Fall Color Drive in Illinois on October 17 and 18, 2015 has grown to include at least 70 people as of November 6, 2015. Adams and Pike County Health Departments are investigating the outbreak. Those sickened drank apple cider from vendors at several different locations during the event. Those sickened have been experiencing diarrhea, cramping, and vomiting. Case patients range in age from less than one year to 89 years old. Several people have been hospitalized because their illnesses have been so serious. The illness onset rates in this outbreak range from October 18 through November 4, 2015. New illnesses are being reported daily, according to public health officials. Symptoms include profuse … [Read more...]
Clostridium Perfringens Outbreak at Roosevelt High School, IA
The Polk County Health Department has released a report about a Clostridium perfringens food poisoning outbreak at the Roosevelt High School staff luncheon on October 22, 2015. That outbreak sickened at least 58 teachers with a diarrheal illness. Classes and after-school activities were cancelled in that school district to protect students. The Polk County Health Department worked with Des Moines Public School officials, the Iowa Department of Public Health, the Department of Inspections and Appeals and the State Hygienic Laboratory to investigate the outbreak. They interviewed 103 sick and well teachers and staff, including those who attended the lunch and those who did not. They also interviewed patients and ill food handlers, and tested stool samples and food samples. Two outside … [Read more...]
Chipotle E. coli Outbreak in Washington Grows to 29 Sick
The Washington Department of Health has issued another update in the ongoing E. coli outbreak linked to Chipotle restaurants in that state and in Oregon. In Washington, there are now 29 people sick in this outbreak. In Oregon, the case count remains at 12 for the moment, so there are now 41 people sickened. The Washington State Health Department is working with local, state, and several partners, including the CDC and FDA, on an investigation to discover the source of the pathogenic bacteria. Chipotle restaurants are under a voluntary closure at this time. Public health officials are working to establish criteria for the restaurants to reopen. In Washington, the case count by county is: Clark (12), Cowlitz (3), Island (2), King (6), Skagit (5), and Whatcom (1). Nearly all of the 29 … [Read more...]
Cryptosporidium Outbreak in Pike County, IL Linked to Apple Cider
A cryptosporidium outbreak in Pike County, Illinois has sickened at least 30 people, according to the Pike County Health Department. The initial announcement stated that the outbreak pathogen had not yet been identified, and directed health care providers to test patients for both E. coli and Cryptosporidium. Those sickened attended the Pike County Fall Color Drive on October 17 and 18, 2015 in Barry, Illinois. This event is a large fall festival that spans several communities in the county. Patients who have been sick consumed apple cider from vendors at two locations. News reports have identified the outbreak as cryptosporidiosis, and the symptoms mentioned in the press release from Pike County are those of cryptosporidiosis. Symptoms of those sickened include profuse and … [Read more...]
Onondaga County NY Outbreak Caused by Food Poisoning
A gastrointestinal outbreak at a wedding reception at the Arrowhead Lodge in Onondaga County, New York last summer was caused by food poisoning, according to the New York Health Department. At least 35 people were sickened in July 2015; nine people had to be transported to hospital emergency rooms. Two people had to be hospitalized overnight. Lab tests on patient samples were positive for staphylococcus aura enterotoxin, a compound produced by that bacteria that makes people sick. The toxin can survive the cooking process and it can even grow in a salty medium, such as ham. Foods can be contaminated with Staphylococcus bacteria in several ways. Food workers can contaminate the food, or it can be contaminated during processing or transport. Past Staphylococcus outbreak have been … [Read more...]
Cyclospora Outbreak Over After Sickening 546 People
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has stated that the Cyclospora outbreak that has sickened 546 people in 31 states this summer is over. The last illness onset date was August 22, 2015. Cyclospora cayetanensis is a single-celled parasite that causes an infection in the intestines. Clusters of illnesses were linked to restaurants or events in Texas, Wisconsin, and Georgia. The restaurants and events have not been named. Some of the illnesses just in those states, but not all, were linked to fresh cilantro imported from Puebla, Mexico. The food or drink that caused non-cluster-associated cases has not been identified. The FDA issued an import alert on that imported cilantro on August 27, 2015. In fact, the CDC identified annually recurring outbreaks in 2012, … [Read more...]
A Tale of Two Chickens and Salmonella: Koch Poultry and Foster Farms
Two giant poultry processors have been linked to serious food poisoning outbreaks in the past few years. One, Foster Farms, was the source of chicken tainted with antibiotic-resistant Salmonella that sickened almost seven hundred people. Despite objections from food safety experts, that company only issued a small recall of chicken produced over a period of one week in March 2014. Other retailers such as Costco did issue recalls of Foster Farms chicken, including rotisserie chickens that were professionally cooked. The second, Koch Poultry, under the name Aspen Foods, was the source of frozen breaded stuffed chicken tainted with Salmonella. While the company did recall products linked to an outbreak last summer, they refused to issue a new recall when the USDA requested it after finding … [Read more...]
Tomatoes are Source of Chipotle Salmonella Outbreak
The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) and the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) have just identified tomatoes as the source of the Salmonella Newport outbreak that has sickened 64 people who ate at Chipotle restaurants around the state. They are now working to trace the tomatoes back to the farm where they were grown. Now, 66 people have been sickened in this outbreak. Twenty-two Chipotle restaurants are linked to the outbreak, an increase of five since the last report. Nine people have been hospitalized because of their illness, and all are recovering. People sickened in this Salmonella outbreak ate at the restaurants from August 16 to August 28, and became ill between August 19 and September 3, 2015. The patient age range is 10 to 69 years. The patients live in 13 metro … [Read more...]
