A Lolita's Bar and Grill Hepatitis A exposure in Lawrenceville, Georgia may have exposed patrons to the virus, according to the Gwinnett County Health Department. That restaurant is located at 472 Buford Drive in Lawrenceville. A food service worker has been diagnosed with a hepatitis A infection and worked while infectious from October 24, 2023 to November 7, 2023. Anyone who ate there during that time frame may have been exposed to the virus. Unfortunately, anyone who dined at that restaurant before November 1, 2024 may no longer be eligible to receive a hepatitis A or immune globulin vaccine. Those vaccinations are effective only if given within two weeks of exposure. But talk to your doctor about your risk level and whether a vaccine may be applicable in your case. For … [Read more...]
Buckhead Fresh Market Salmonella Outbreak Sickens Consumers
A Buckhead Fresh Market Salmonella outbreak in Georgia has sickened an unnamed number of consumers, according to WSB-TV. A whistleblower told that news outlet that food sold from the deli may be associated with this outbreak. That Fresh Market is located on Roswell Road in Buckhead. The former employee told the news reporter, "A customer got sick from our chicken salads. Associates were going inside the deli with no hair nets. When they're handling customer foods, they're not wearing gloves." The whistleblower also said that there were poor sanitary conditions at the deli. Fresh Market responded with a statement, "The Fresh Market is always committed to the safety and well-being of our guests and employees… The Georgia Department of Agriculture reviewed a small number of cases of … [Read more...]
Nationwide Cyclospora Outbreak Sickens 581 With 55 Hospitalized
The nationwide cyclospora outbreak of domestically acquired cases has sickened at least 581 people, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Fifty-five people have been hospitalized because they are so sick. That is a huge increase of 371 more patients since the last update on June 23, 2023. The case count range by state is: Arkansas (1-10), California (1-10), Connecticut (1-10), Indiana (1-10), Kansas (1-10), Kentucky (1-10), Massachusetts (1-10), Maryland (1-10), Michigan (1-10), Minnesota (1-10), North Carolina (1-10), Nebraska (1-10), New Jersey (1-10), Pennsylvania (1-10), Rhode Island (1-10), Tennessee (1-10), Utah (1-10), Wisconsin (1-10), West Virginia (1-10), Wyoming (1-10), Florida (11-30), Illinois (11-30), Ohio (11-30), South Carolina (11-30), … [Read more...]
CDC Reports on Domestically Acquired Cyclospora Cases
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is reporting an update on the domestically acquired cyclospora outbreak with illness onset on or after April 2023. In the past few years there have been large cyclospora outbreaks in the United States during the summer months. People usually get sick by eating contaminated fresh produce. Outbreak Numbers "Domestically acquired" is an important distinction, since it used to be that people contracted this parasite when they traveled outside the United States to tropical regions, and ate contaminated produce. That is no longer the case, as of 2019. Last year there were at least 1,129 cases of cyclosporiasis in the U.S. There are at least 97 people sick in 16 states. Sixteen people have been hospitalized. The case count by state … [Read more...]
Cyclospora Outbreak in Georgia Reported; No Case Count
A cyclospora outbreak in Georgia has been reported by the Georgia Department of Public Health Northwest Health District. There is no information about case counts, illness onset dates, if anyone has been hospitalized, or possible causes. Investigators do say that the investigation is ongoing and they expect the number of cases to increase. Every summer in the United States for the past few years, there has been at least one cyclospora outbreak. The parasite is endemic to tropical regions, and cases used to be only from people who traveled to those areas. But now cyclospora outbreaks have been linked to produce grown in the United States. Last year, there were more than 1,000 cyclospora illnesses in this country. The outbreak was not solved. The cyclospora oocyst uses the human … [Read more...]
FDA on Wild Harvest Oysters Salmonella Outbreak in FL GA AL
FDA is weighing in on the wild harvest oysters Salmonella outbreak that has sickened at least eight people in Florida, Georgia, and Alabama. Any retailers and restaurants that have received wild harvest oysters from harvest area FL-3012 in Cedar Key, Florida, harvested between December 16, 2022 and February 24, 2023 should be discarded. Consumers who bought those oysters at retail in those three states should also discard them. The FDA says it's possible that other states may have received the oysters. So if you purchased raw oysters, check the packaging to see if they were harvested in that area. A Salmonella outbreak linked to those oysters has been detected by the state health departments in Florida, Georgia, and Alabama. Eight cases are linked to this outbreak. We do not … [Read more...]
Raw Oyster Salmonella Outbreak Sickens Eight in FL, GA, AL
A raw oyster Salmonella outbreak has sickened at least eight people in Florida, Georgia, and Alabama, according to the Florida Department of Health. And a recall of oysters has been issued. We do not know the patient age range, illness onset dates, or whether or not anyone has been hospitalized. The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services closed shellfish harvesting area FL-3012 in Cedar Key, Florida for the harvest of wild oysters on February 24, 2023. A recall of those oysters from that area that were harvested from December 16, 2022 to February 24, 2023 has been issued. If you bought these oysters harvested from that area, do not eat them, or if you sell them or own a restaurant, do not serve them, even if you plan to cook them first because of the possibility … [Read more...]
FDA Warning Letter to Smuckers Over Jif Peanut Butter Outbreak
An FDA warning letter sent to the Smuckers corporation about the Jif peanut butter Salmonella Senftenberg outbreak details serious violations of the law, including Current Good Manufacturing Practice, Hazard Analysis, and Risk-Based Preventive Controls for Human Food. Jif peanut butter was linked to an outbreak in the first part of 2022 that sickened at least 21 people in 17 states. Four people were hospitalized. All peanut butter manufactured at the J.M. Smucker facility in Lexington, Kentucky from October 1, 2021 to May 20, 2022 was recalled after the outbreak was announced. The warning letter states, "the evidence establishes that you introduced adulterated peanut butter into interstate commerce as prohibited by section 301(a) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (the … [Read more...]
Jif Peanut Butter Salmonella Outbreak Is Number Five of 2022
The Jif peanut butter Salmonella Senftenberg outbreak is the number five outbreak of 2022, with at least 21 people sick in 17 states. Four people were hospitalized because they were so ill. Several types of Jif peanut butter were recalled after the outbreak was first announced on May 21, 2022. The outbreak ended on July 27, 2022, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The case count by state is: Arizona (1), Arkansas (1), Florida (1), Georgia (2), Illinois (1), Indiana (1), Massachusetts (1), Michigan (1), Missouri (2), New York (1), North Carolina (2), Ohio (1), South Carolina (1), Texas (2), Virginia (1), Washington (1), and West Virginia (1). Patients ranged in age from less than one year to 85. The hospitalization rate was 31%, with four out of 13 … [Read more...]
Old Europe Cheese Listeria Outbreak Is Number Nine of 2022
The number nine food poisoning outbreak of 2022 is the Old Europe Cheese Listeria monocytogenes outbreak that sickened at least six people in six states. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says that epidemiologic, traceback, and laboratory data showed that cheeses made by that company made people sick. This outbreak was declared over on December 9, 2022. The case count by state is: California (1), Georgia (1), Massachusetts (1), Michigan (1), New Jersey (1), and Texas (1). The patient age range is from 56 to 83 years, with a median age of 78. Five people were hospitalized because they were so sick. In interviews, patients were asked about the foods they ate the month before they got sick. Eighty percent said they ate brie or camembert cheese. Most did not … [Read more...]
