An Old Europe Cheese Listeria monocytogenes outbreak has sickened at least six people in six states and has hospitalized five, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Brie and Camembert cheese, that were sold under multiple brand names, made by this company are linked to these illnesses. The patient 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. Sick people's samples were collected from August 6, 2017, to August 5, 2022. This large date range is not uncommon in Listeria outbreaks, since not many people are sick in each outbreak and since the pathogen can exist in food manufacturing environments for years. The PulseNet system is used to … [Read more...]
Salmonella Outbreak on Shenandoah Schooner in Massachusetts
A Salmonella outbreak on the Shenandoah schooner in Tisbury, Massachusetts has sickened 11 children, according to the MV Times. The schooner is used as part of the Tisbury's school youth voyage programs. All of the sick children were on the same schooner. There were 22 children on the trip, and about half of them got sick. The trip took place from June 27 to July 2, 2022. The outbreak was announced during a Tisbury board of health meeting on Tuesday, July 26, 2022. The assistant health agent, Catherine Blake, said she was "not made aware" of the situation until July 8. There was no food protection manager on board the Shenandoah schooner, although three staff members were U.S. Coast Guard certified food handlers, and two staff members had ServeSafe certification for food … [Read more...]
Massachusetts Salmonella Outbreak Linked to Dog Gone Dog Treats
A Massachusetts Salmonella outbreak that is linked to Dog Gone Dog Treats has sickened at least three people in that state, according to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. The patients handled the dog treats before getting sick. The patients are two adults in their 70s and one child. All live in Essex County. One open bag from a customer and several unopened bags purchased this week all tested positive for Salmonella bacteria at the State Public Health Laboratory. The Dog Gone Dog Treats are made in Georgetown, Massachusetts. They include "chicken chips" and "beef liver and sweet potato chips." The dog treats are not fully cooked, but are dehydrated. They are sold at these venues: Essex County Co-Op in Topsfield, New England Dog Biscuit Company in Salem, Gimme Chews … [Read more...]
Plainville Farms Ground Turkey Salmonella Outbreak Is Number 6 of 2021
The Plainville Farms ground turkey Salmonella Hadar outbreak was the number six multistate food poisoning outbreak in 2021, with 33 people sick in 14 states and four hospitalized. The outbreak was declared over on May 17, 2021. The case count by state was: Arizona (1), Connecticut (2), Indiana (1), Maine (1), Maryland (1), Massachusetts (7), Missouri (2), New Hampshire (1), New Jersey (3), New York (4), North Carolina (3), Pennsylvania (4), Vermont (1), and Virginia (2). Illness onset dates ranged from December 28, 2020 to April 22, 2021. The patient age range was from less than one year to 92. In interviews about the foods they ate the week before they got sick, eight of 13 people, or 62%, said they ate ground turkey. USDA personnel took an unopened package of ground turkey from … [Read more...]