The FDA CORE Outbreak Investigation Table has been updated with a new Listeria outbreak and information about other outbreaks. There are currently four active outbreak investigations on the table. The new Listeria outbreak is not yet linked to any food or product. There are at least 26 people who are sick. No recall has been initiated, traceback has not started, there has been no on-site inspection, and no samples have been collected or analyzed. For the Listeria monocytogenes outbreak that has sickened three people in a not yet identified food, nothing has changed. Traceback has been initiated, an on-site inspection has been conducted, and samples have been collected and analyzed. The outbreak of Salmonella Newport in an unidentified food has ended, with 45 illnesses, and the … [Read more...]
Top 10 Food Poisoning Outbreaks of 2023
These are the top 10 food poisoning outbreaks of 2023. To be included in this list, the outbreaks must have sickened at least two people in different states. The outbreaks were linked to food that ranged from cantaloupe to flour to ground beef to raw cookie dough to dry dog food. The number one outbreak is the deadly Salmonella cantaloupe outbreak that has sickened at least 302 people in 42 states, with 129 patients hospitalized. This outbreak is still ongoing. Four people have died in this outbreak. Three lived in Minnesota and one lived in Oregon. Many recalls have been issued as a result of this outbreak. If you purchased cantaloupe recently, make sure that the fruit is not part of any of these recalls. If you aren't positive, or if you froze cantaloupe in the last two months, … [Read more...]
Number 4 Outbreak of 2023: Leafy Greens Listeria Outbreak
The number 4 outbreak of 2023 is the leafy greens Listeria outbreak that sickened at least 19 people in 16 states, according to the CDC. This outbreak remains a mystery; the government did not name a brand name, farm, or specific type of product that made those people sick. The case count by state was: Arkansas (1), California (1), Colorado (1), Illinois (1), Louisiana (1), Michigan (2), Missouri (1), North Carolina (2), Nebraska (1), New York (1), Oklahoma (1), Pennsylvania (1), South Dakota (1), Texas (1), Washington (1), and Wisconsin (2). Samples were collected from July 3, 2018 to March 31, 2023. The patient age range is from less than 1 to 96 years. Eighteen people were hospitalized because they were so sick. This was a relatively large outbreak for this type of pathogen. … [Read more...]
Number Seven Outbreak of 2023: Deadly Peaches Listeria
The number seven outbreak of 2023 is the deadly peaches Listeria monocytogenes outbreak linked to HMC Farms and Signature Farms fresh peaches, nectarines, and plums. At least eleven people in seven states are sick in this outbreak. And the outbreak investigation has not been updated since November 19, 2023. The case count by state is: California (3), Colorado (1), Florida (3), Illinois (1), Kansas (1), Michigan (1), and Ohio (1). The patient age range is from 30 to 80 years. Illness onset dates range from August 22, 2018 to August 16, 2023. Of ten people who gave information about their health to investigators, all have been hospitalized. One death was reported from California. One person suffered preterm labor. The PulseNet system was used to find people who may be part of this … [Read more...]
Top 10 Outbreaks Of 2023: #10 Ice Cream House Listeria
It's time for the Top 10 Outbreaks of 2023. Number 10 is the Ice Cream House Listeria Monocytogenes outbreak that took place in the summer of 2023. It sickened at least two people; one lives in New York, the other in Pennsylvania. Both patients were hospitalized. The median age in this outbreak was 77 years. People over the age of 65 are much more likely to suffer serious complications from a Listeria monocytogenes infection. In fact, one of the patients lived in a long term care facility where they were likely served this product. The other patient ought "Soft Serve on the Go" ice cream cups from a grocery store. Whole genome sequencing showed that the bacteria from patient isolates were closely related genetically. This means that they likely got sick from eating the same … [Read more...]
FDA Updates Stores Where Recalled Listeria Peaches Were Sold
The FDA has updated the store list where recalled Listeria peaches, nectarines, and plums were sold. The recalling firm is HMC Farms. The peaches are linked to a deadly Listeria monocytogenes outbreak that has sickened at least 11 people in seven states. One person who lived in California died. The recall is for peaches, plums, and nectarines. The fruit is labeled HMC Farms and Signature Farms. It was sold in bags and boxes or as individual fruits. The PLU stickers on the individual fruits have the numbers 4044 or 4038 for yellow peaches, 4401 for white peaches, 4036 or 4378 for yellow nectarines, 3035 for white nectarines, 4042 for red plums, and 4040 for black plums. The fruit is well past its shelf life, but some people may have frozen the fruit for later use. Since Listeria … [Read more...]
FDA Updates CORE Outbreak Investigation Table
The FDA has updated its CORE Outbreak Investigation Table to include increases in case counts and advances in some of the investigations. There are seven investigations on the table at this time. The first outbreak investigation on the FDA CORE Outbreak Investigation Table is the Listeria monocytogenes outbreak connected to an unidentified food. The FDA has initiated traceback, has conducted an on-site inspection, and has collected samples for analysis. Three people are sick in that outbreak. For the Salmonelal Newport outbreak in a not yet identified food, the case count has increased from 43 to 44 cases. That is an increase of one more patient since the last update. Traceback has begun, and samples have been collected and analyzed. For the deadly Salmonella Sundsvall and … [Read more...]
New Listeria Monocytogenes Outbreak on FDA CORE Table
A new Listeria monocytogenes outbreak has been added to the FDA CORE Outbreak Investigation Table. It joins six other outbreaks, some that have been solved, and some not. The new outbreak has sickened at least three people. No food has been identified in this outbreak. And the FDA has not issued a recall, initiated traceback, inspected any facilities, or collected samples for testing. The unsolved Salmonella Newport outbreak has added a new strain: Salmonella Oranienburg. In that outbreak, at least 43 people are sick, an increase of one more patient since the last update. The FDA has initiated traceback and has collected samples for testing. The deadly Salmonella Sundsvall and Salmonella Oranienburg outbreak linked to recalled Malichita and Rudy cantaloupes has sickened at … [Read more...]
FDA Lists Stores Where Listeria Contaminated Peaches Were Sold
The FDA has listed the stores where possibly Listeria contaminated peaches by HMC Farms and Signature Farms were sold. There is a Listeria monocytogenes outbreak linked to some of these products, with at least 11 sick and one death in seven states. Ill persons live in California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Kansas, Michigan, and Ohio. The recalled, conventionally grown peaches, plums, and nectarines were sold at the retail level from May 1, 2022 through November 15, 2022 and from May 1, 2023 through November 15, 2023. While these fruits are no longer available for sale, some people most likely froze them for later use. Listeria monocytogenes bacteria are not destroyed by freezing temperatures, so these frozen fruits are not safe to eat. The individual pieces of fruit have PLU … [Read more...]
Salmonella Newport Outbreak on FDA CORE Outbreak Table
There is a new Salmonella Newport outbreak on the FDA's CORE Outbreak Investigation Table. It joins the Salmonella Sundsvall outbreak linked to cantaloupe, the Listeria monocytogenes outbreak linked to peaches, plums, and nectarines, and the elevated lead poisoning cases linked to recalled WanaBana fruit purees. There are also two mystery E. coli outbreaks, and the Salmonella Thompson outbreak linked to recalled Gills onions. For the new Salmonella Newport outbreak, 40 people are ill. Traceback has been initiated. We do not know where the 40 patients live, illness onset dates, the patient age range, or whether or not anyone has been hospitalized. For the Salmonella Sundsvall outbreak linked to recalled cantaloupe, there are 43 people sick in 15 states. Seventeen people have been … [Read more...]
