A Q fever raw milk warning has been issued by Missouri County Public Health in Montana after two cows tested positive for the pathogen Coxiella burnetii, the bacteria that causes the illness. Milk that was recently sold at a local farmers market came from that herd. While one of the cows had not yet produced milk, the other produced about 10% of the farmer's yield. The farm was not named. Environmental Health Director Shannon Therriault said in a statement, "We don’t know if the cow was shedding the bacteria at the time it was milked, or if that cow’s milk was sold at the farmers market. So we can’t say for sure whether anyone was exposed. However, what we do know is that unpasteurized milk can contain harmful bacteria that can make you and your loved ones sick. "While … [Read more...]
FDA Releases Morel Advisory After Dave’s Sushi Illnesses
The FDA releases Morel advisory after illnesses among patrons of Dave's Sushi in Bozeman, Montana. At least 50 people were sickened, and two customers died after eating at that establishment, although the manner of death has not been established. Morel mushrooms are most often foraged from the wild. While morel mushrooms are generally regarded as safe to eat, they may contain toxins that can cause health problems. The advisory states that the toxins that can cause illness are not fully understood. Cooking the mushrooms properly can reduce toxin levels, but the FDA says that people should eat morel and other wild-type mushrooms at their own risk. As of May 19, 2023, the outbreak at Dave's Sushi has sickened 50 people who ate at the restaurant between March 28 and April 27, 2023. … [Read more...]
Dave’s Sushi Outbreak Remains Unsolved; Restaurant Reopens
The Dave's Sushi outbreak in Bozeman, Montana remains unsolved and the restaurant has opened because the Gallatin City-County Health Department has rescinded the closure order. A new health officer order has been issued, with corrective actions required before reopening. As of May 17, 2023, there are 50 people sick; an increase of nine more cases since the last update a week ago. Two people have died after eating at the restaurant, although those deaths are being investigated and the manner and causes of the deaths are pending until autopsy results are available. Food samples, including salmon and morel mushrooms, which were suspected in this outbreak, have been collected and analyzed. All samples have come back negative for a series of pathogens and toxins. The Gallatin … [Read more...]
Dave’s Sushi Morel Mushroom Outbreak Sickens 41 in Montana
The Dave's Sushi morel mushroom outbreak has now sickened at least 41 people in Montana, according to the FDA's CORE Outbreak Investigation Table. The Table states that morel mushrooms are the suspect food in this outbreak. Two deaths have occurred in patrons of that establishment after eating there. The case count has increased to 41 from 30 since the last update was issued on May 3, 2023. In that investigation, traceback has been initiated, and sample collection and analysis has begun. The Gallatin City-County Health Department, which is also investigating the outbreak, says that ill persons ate at the restaurant between March 31 and April 17, 2023. Three patrons had "severe outcomes," including hospitalizations, and the deaths of two patrons are being investigated. No causative … [Read more...]
Deadly Outbreak at Dave’s Sushi Sickens 30 in Bozeman, Montana
A deadly outbreak at Dave's Sushi in Bozeman, Montana has sickened at least 30 people, according to the Gallatin City-County Health Department. The notice, which was posted on the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) website, stated, "Three individuals had severe outcomes, including hospitalizations, and the deaths of two individuals are being investigated after eating at the restaurant." Officials say that they may not be able to identify a specific pathogen as the source. The food poisoning outbreak seems to be isolated to people who ate at Dave's Sushi between March 31 and April 17, 2023. DPHHS epidemiologist Rachel Hinnenkamp of the Communicable Disease and Epidemiology Section said in a statement, "DPHHS supports the Gallatin City-County Health … [Read more...]
Another Patron of Dave’s Sushi in Bozeman Montana Dies
Another patron of Dave's Sushi restaurant in Bozeman, Montana has died, according to the Gallatin County Sheriff's Department and news reports. The sheriff "confirmed that this woman had been a patron at Dave's Sushi." But there are no details about when she ate at the restaurant, the cause of death has not been determined, and no one has officially linked the death to food served there. The woman, 64-year-old Donna Ventura of Belgrade, Montana, was hospitalized at the Bozeman Health Deaconess Regional Medical Center. There is no information on how long she was hospitalized. The sheriff's department statement said, "Donna's death is suspected to be related to a foodborne illness." Autopsy reports can take weeks, and toxicology reports up to six months. Those results could shed … [Read more...]
Dave’s Sushi Food Poisoning Outbreak Sickens Customers
A Dave's Sushi food poisoning outbreak has sickened an undetermined number of customers, according to news reports and the Gallatin City-Council Health Department. One man has died, but the cause of death has not yet been determined and that death has not been linked to the restaurant. The restaurant is located at 115 North Bozeman Avenue in Bozeman, Montana. The health department was told about the outbreak on April 17, 2023, and inspected the restaurant on April 18, 2023. The restaurant is closed while officials investigate. That inspection found four food safety violations on April 18. The violations were for inadequate temperature control, with spicy salmon at 46°F, and salmon Inure at 45°F. Any food between 40°F and 140°F can cause illness because that temperature range is … [Read more...]
Montana Raw Water Campylobacter Outbreak Linked to Bird’s Nest
A Montana raw water Campylobacter outbreak in 2022 has been linked to a bird's nest in a concrete cache from Kennedy Creek, according to ARS Technica. Nineteen people were sickened in that outbreak, and one person was hospitalized. The water was untreated, taken from a concrete box that siphoned off water from the creek located near Paradise, Montana. Officials believe that the box was build in the early 1900s to stop erosion from a railroad track bed. Officials found an empty bird's nest inside the box, which was the likely source of the pathogen. Campylobacter was found in the water. Whole genome sequencing showed that the bacteria in the water was a match to isolates from patients sickened in this outbreak. The box was posted saying that the water was not safe to drink. The … [Read more...]
Montana Campylobacter Outbreak Linked to Kennedy Creek Water
A Montana Campylobacter outbreak is linked to the Kennedy Creek watering point, according to Sanders County Environmental Health. About 20 people have been confirmed with this illness in an outbreak that occurred in mid May 2022. Eighteen of those patients consumed water from the Kennedy Creek watering point over a period of about two to three weeks during late April and early May 2022. Thirteen of those patients have seen a healthcare provider; all tested positive for Campylobacter. One linked case was also reported in Flathead County. A water sample was taken from the creek's discharge point, and it tested positive for Campylobacter. As of Friday, June 3, 2022, the state laboratory has matched clinical and water sample specimens through whole genome sequencing. Kennedy Creek … [Read more...]
Onion Salmonella Newport Outbreak Has Now Sickened 1012 in 47 States
The Thomson International onion Salmonella Newport outbreak has now sickened at least 1,012 people in 47 states, according to a September 1, 2020 update by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). That is an increase of 143 more ill persons in the last two weeks. One hundred thirty-six people are hospitalized. The case count by state is: Alaska (21), Alabama (1), Arizona (35), Arkansas (2), California (122), Colorado (26), Connecticut (2), Delaware (2), Florida (8), Georgia (11), Hawaii (3), Idaho (37), Illinois (54), Indiana (3), Iowa (26), Kansas (2), Kentucky (1), Maine (6), Maryland (7), Massachusetts (2), Michigan (47), Minnesota (18), Mississippi (4), Missouri (11), Montana (63), Nebraska (10), Nebraska (10), Nevada (11), New Hampshire (1), New Jersey (8), New … [Read more...]
