The number eight outbreak of 2023 is the frozen strawberry hepatitis A outbreak that sickened at least 10 people in four states. There were several recalls issued in relation to this outbreak, for Made With Foods frozen strawberries, Kirkland Signature frozen organic whole strawberries, Vital Choice organic strawberries, Simply Nature organic strawberries, PCC Community Market, Trader Joe's Organic Tropical Fruit Blend, Costco Organic Daybreak Blend, and Scenic Fruit frozen strawberries. The case count by state is: Washington (6), California (2), Hawaii (1), and Oregon (1). Illness onset dates ranged from November 24, 2022 to May 27, 2023. The patient age range is from 38 to 64. Four people have been hospitalized because they are so sick. The organic strawberries were imported … [Read more...]
Frozen Strawberries Hepatitis A Outbreak Ends with 10 Sick
The frozen strawberries hepatitis A outbreak has ended with 10 people sick in four states. Four patients were hospitalized because they were so ill, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). There were several recalls issued in relation to this outbreak. The CDC is recommending that anyone who bought those berries should not eat, serve, or sell them. The case count by state is: Washington (6), California (2), Hawaii (1), and Oregon (1). Illness onset dates ranged from November 24, 2022 to May 27, 2023. The patient age range is from 38 to 64. Four people have been hospitalized because they are so sick. Epidemiologic and traceback evidence indicates that frozen organic strawberries that were imported fresh from a single farm in Baja California, Mexico in … [Read more...]
FDA CORE Table Updated With More Cases and Listeria Outbreak
The FDA CORE Table updated with more cases in one of the cyclospora outbreaks and the Salmonella outbreak. And a new Listeria monocytogenes outbreak has been added. The E. coli O157:H7 outbreak has ended unsolved. There are seven active outbreak investigations on the table. For the E. coli O157:H7 outbreak investigation that ended, twelve people were sickened. Traceback was initiated, but officials could not identify a food that was the cause of those illnesses. One of the three cyclospora outbreaks on the table has had a case count increase of eight more illnesses, from 47 sick to 55. Traceback has been initiated, and sample collection and analysis has started. The other two cyclospora outbreaks are unchanged. For the outbreak of Salmonella Paratyphi B var. L(+) tartrate+, … [Read more...]
Cyclospora and Salmonella Outbreaks Increase; Remain Mysteries
There are now seven active outbreak investigations on the FDA's CORE Outbreak Investigation Table. Of those outbreaks, only one is solved. The others, including three cyclospora outbreaks, one Salmonella outbreak, one E. coli O26 outbreak, and one E. coli O157:H7 outbreak, remain unsolved. For the first cyclospora outbreak, the case count has increased to 47 sick, up from 39 in the last update. Traceback has been initiated, and samples have been collected and are being analyzed. In the second cyclospora outbreak, the case count has increased from 121 sick to 140. In that investigation, traceback has started and samples have been collected and analyzed. In the third cyclospora outbreak, the case count has increased by one more patient, from 68 to 69. Traceback has started, an … [Read more...]
New E. coli and Cyclospora Outbreaks on FDA CORE Table
There are new E. coli and Cyclospora outbreaks on the FDA CORE Outbreak Investigation Table, and case counts have increased in older outbreaks. There are seven outbreaks on the table, and six are unsolved. The FDA does not give out any information about patients until there is some action that consumers can take. The new cyclospora outbreak has sickened at least 39 people. FDA and state partners have started sample collection and testing. In addition, FDA has initiated traceback. A new outbreak of E. coli O26 has been added to the table. There are thirteen people sick in that outbreak, but no food has been identified. FDA has initiated traceback. For the second outbreak of cyclospora, the case count has increased to 121 people sick, from 118 in the last update. Traceback has … [Read more...]
Now Ten Sick in the Frozen Strawberries Hepatitis A Outbreak
There are now ten sick in the frozen strawberries Hepatitis A outbreak, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). That is an increase of one more patient, who lives in Hawaii, which is a new state added to the outbreak case count. The case count by state is: Washington (6), California (2), Hawaii (1), and Oregon (1). Illness onset dates range from November 24, 2022 to June 4, 2023. The patient age range is from 38 to 64. Four people have been hospitalized because they are so sick. Epidemiological and traceback evidence indicates that frozen organic strawberries that were imported fresh from "certain farms" in Baja, California in Mexico in 2022 are the source of this outbreak. And the hepatitis A virus strain that is making people sick is genetically … [Read more...]
New E. coli O157:H7 Outbreak on FDA CORE Outbreak Table
A new E. coli O157:H7 outbreak has been listed on the FDA's CORE Outbreak Investigation Table, joining six other outbreaks that are currently being investigated. Four of the seven outbreaks have not been linked to any product. The new E. coli O157:H7 outbreak has sickened at least 11 people. The FDA has established traceback but there is no recall, on-site inspection, or sample collection and analysis. We do not know there the ill persons live, the patient age range, or if anyone has been hospitalized. In the first Cyclospora outbreak investigation, the case count has increased from 105 to 112. In that outbreak, sample collection and analysis has begun. In the second cyclospora outbreak, the FDA has initiated onside inspection along with sample collection and analysis. The … [Read more...]
What is Going on With All the Frozen Fruit Recalls?
What is going on with all the frozen fruit recalls? There have been three recalls of frozen fruit for possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination in the last month, and five large recalls of frozen strawberries for possible hepatitis A contamination this year. And there is a hepatitis A outbreak linked to some frozen organic strawberries imported from Mexico. Why is this happening? First of all, any food can be contaminated with pathogenic bacteria and viruses at any time during the process of growing, harvesting, and processing. Pre cut fruits and vegetables are more likely to be contaminated because they are handled more. If the contamination occurred in the fields, for instance, many many pounds of produce can be contaminated during processing because there simply isn't a "kill … [Read more...]
New Salmonella Outbreak Added to FDA CORE Table
A new Salmonella outbreak and a new cyclospora cluster have been added to the FDA's Core Outbreak Investigation Table. There are now six active outbreak investigations on that table. The new Salmonella outbreak is Salmonella Paratyphi B var. L(+) tartrate+. There are at least 31 people sick in this outbreak. Traceback has been initiated, but there is no information about what food is suspected, where ill persons live, the patient age range, or if anyone has been hospitalized. The new Cyclospora cluster has 28 ill persons. Once again, FDA has initiated traceback, but a product linked to those illnesses has not been identified. There is no patient age range or information about where ill persons live. The Salmonella Enteritidis outbreak linked to raw cookie dough remains … [Read more...]
More Frozen Strawberries Recalled For Hepatitis A Contamination
There are more frozen strawberries recalled for possible Hepatitis A contamination. There is a hepatitis A outbreak linked to frozen strawberries, but there are no illnesses associated with these specific products. The other brands of strawberries recalled include Wawona brand sold at Costco, Made With, Vital Choice, Kirkland Signature, and others. The recalled strawberries were distributed by Willamette Valley Fruit Company of Salem, Oregon. The berries were grown in Mexico. You can see pictures of the recalled products at the FDA web site. The Walmart products were sold in these states: Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, North Dakota, Nebraska, Nevada, … [Read more...]
