Four people are sick in Maryland's soft cheese Listeria monocytogenes outbreak announced late last week by the FDA and the CDC. That state has the most patients sickened in the current outbreak. The other states involved in this outbreak have one person sick in each. The outbreak is potentially linked to Hispanic-style soft and fresh cheeses, according to information provided by the Centers for Disease Control. An investigation has been launched and officials are collecting samples of cheese from stores where ill persons shopped before they got sick. Of four people who have been interviewed, three said they ate at least one type of Hispanic-style fresh and soft cheese, and al three said they ate queso fresco. These types of cheeses have a history of being linked to … [Read more...]
History of Soft Cheese Linked Listeria Monocytogenes Outbreaks
With the news that the CDC and FDA have launched an investigation into a possible Hispanic-style soft cheese listeriosis outbreak late last week, the history of soft cheese linked Listeria monocytogenes outbreaks comes into focus. Seven people in four states are sick, including Maryland, Connecticut, New York, and Virginia. This is not the first time a deadly outbreak has been linked to those types of soft and fresh cheeses. These types of cheeses have long been a risk for Listeria monocytogenes contamination, according to the CDC. The issue is that many of these soft and fresh cheeses are made with unpasteurized milk. The government estimates that "the risk for listeriosis per serving is estimated to be 50- to 160-fold greater for cheese made from unpasteurized milk than … [Read more...]
New Listeria Outbreak Associated With Hispanic-Style Fresh Soft Cheeses
A new Listeria outbreak has been announced by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Hispanic-style fresh and soft cheeses have allegedly sickened seven people in four states as of February 11, 2021. No recall has been issued yet. The patient case count by state is: Connecticut (1), Maryland (4), New York (1), and Virginia (1). All seven patients have been hospitalized because they are so sick. No one has died. Illness onset dates range from October 20, 2020 to January 22, 2021. Six of those sickened got sick in 2021. The patient age range is from 45 to 75 years. Six of those sickened are of Hispanic origin. State and local public health officials are interviewing people about what they ate during the month before they started feeling sick. Of the four people who … [Read more...]
E. coli HUS Outbreak: Forty Sick, CDC Says Avoid All Romaine From Salinas, CA
The CDC just posted a food safety alert, telling consumers that in the wake of the newest E. coli HUS outbreak, they should avoid buying or eating all romaine lettuce from the Salinas, California growing region until more information is available. This is an echo of the same advice from the CDC last April, when another, deadly E. coli O157:H7 outbreak was linked to romaine. The advice in 2018 was to avoid all romaine lettuce until officials found the source. This newest outbreak is growing by leaps and bounds. Now 40 people in 16 states are sick. That's an increase of 23 more patients and 8 more states in just the last two days. Twenty-eight people have been hospitalized, which is a very high percentage of cases. Five people have developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), which is a … [Read more...]
FDA Weighs In On the Newest Romaine E. coli O157:H7 HUS Outbreak
The FDA has weighed in on the newest romaine E. coli O157:H7 outbreak that has sickened at least 17 people in 8 states. If Maryland Health Department information is added to that total, there are 22 people sick. But the CDC announcement said 17 are ill because only two of the seven Maryland cases have been definitely linked to the outbreak through whole genome sequencing (WGS). This outbreak took some time to unfold. A cluster of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) illnesses was first identified in Wisconsin last week. Then, an E. coli outbreak in Maryland was identified. The CDC and FDA put it all together, announcing the multistate STEC HUS outbreak on November 20, 2019. The outbreak has been associated with Ready Pac Bistro® Chicken Caesar Salad sold at Sam's Club in … [Read more...]
Missa Bay Salads Recalled As Part of E. coli O157:H7 Outbreak Investigation
Missa Bay LLC, of Swedesboro, New Jersey, is recalling about 97,272 pounds of salad products made with meat or poultry because the lettuce ingredient used to make the salads may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7. The notice does not state that no illnesses have been reported that are connected to these products. There is a multistate E. coli O157:H7 outbreak just announced yesterday by the CDC that is linked to some types of lettuce, including romaine. As part of an investigation into the Maryland section of the outbreak, the state collected and tested ingredients in a Ready Pac Bistro Caesar Salad with FSIS EST number 18502B on the label that was taken from the home of one of the patients sickened in this outbreak. The romaine lettuce tested positive for E. coli O157:H7. All … [Read more...]
CDC Investigating E. coli O157:H7 Romaine Outbreak Including MD and WI Illnesses
An E. coli O157:H7 romaine outbreak that includes illnesses reported by Maryland and Wisconsin has just been announced by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The Maryland outbreak was announced on November 18, 2019, and the Wisconsin outbreak was announced on November 16, 2019, although the first indication of the Wisconsin illnesses was posted on ProMED-mail. So far, the CDC says that 17 people are sick in 8 states. The case count by state is: Arizona (1), California (2), Colorado (1), Idaho (3), Maryland (2), Montana (1), Washington (1), and Wisconsin (6). The case count for Maryland posted by the CDC is different from the case count posted by the Maryland Department of Health, which is seven sick. So there may be as many as 22 people who are ill in this … [Read more...]
As Many as 20 Sick in Wisconsin E. coli Lettuce Outbreak
The Wisconsin Department of Health Services is investigating an E. coli O157:H7 outbreak in that state that may be linked to lettuce. There may be as many as 20 cases; three of the cases are children. The law firm of Pritzker Hageman has been retained by multiple patients in this outbreak and is representing two of those children. One is a 4-year-old who is hospitalized and seriously ill, and the other child is 14 and also hospitalized. Dr. Larry Lutwick posted a notice on ProMed-Mail on November 17, 2019 about three women sickened with E. coli O157 infections who live in northwestern Wisconsin; those women told investigators that they ate salad before becoming sick. Since then, there are news reports that there may be people in other states, in particular Illinois, who may also … [Read more...]
MD E. coli O157:H7 Outbreak Linked to Ready Pac Chicken Caesar Salad
A MD E. coli O157:H7 outbreak may be linked to Ready Pac Bistro® Bowl Chicken Caesar Salad that was purchased from several Sam's Club locations in that state, according to the Maryland Health Department. Seven people are sick. One person has been hospitalized and no deaths have been reported. The health department is recommending the consumers not eat Ready Pac Bistro® Bowl Chicken Caesar Salad. The lot number on the product is 255406963, and the best by date is October 31, 2019. Officials tested unopened salad purchased by one of the patients, and found E. coli O157 in the romaine lettuce used in the salad. In addition to Sam's Club, these salad bowls are distributed to many other retailers. The notice did not name those retailers. The investigation is ongoing and more … [Read more...]
Moby Dick House of Kabob Salmonella Outbreak Sickens 33 in MD, VA, and DC
The Moby Dick House of Kabob Salmonella outbreak has sickened 33 people in two states and the District of Columbia. This outbreak was first announced on September 26, 2019 by the Maryland Department of Health. There are no notices of the outbreak on the Virginia Department of Heath or the Washington, D.C. Department of Health Websites. On September 26, the Maryland Department of Health stated that nine confirmed Salmonella cases were identified in this outbreak. Eight of those nine people said they ate Moby Dick House of Kabob hummus. The sale of that hummus was voluntarily suspended by the company. News reports were stating that the hummus had been excluded as a source of the Salmonella earlier in October 2019. The outbreak continued to grow. In mid-October, Maureen C. Regan … [Read more...]
