The FDA is investigating a subset of the Shigella, Vibrio, E. coli, and Campylobacter outbreak that is linked to raw oysters harvested from Estero El Cardon in Baja California Sur, Mexico. That agency is looking at the five people sickened with Shigella infections. Patients sickened in this raw oyster Shigella outbreak got ill in early 2019. The outbreak notice states that restaurants that sell raw oysters in California, Nevada, New York, and Arizona are part of the investigation. The oysters were sold to wholesale distributors with direct sales to restaurants and were not sold to consumers through grocery retail stores. Consumers should not purchase oysters marketed as being harvested from Estero El Cardon, in Baja California Sur, Mexico from restaurants. If you are not sure … [Read more...]
Eggs Suspected in Salmonella Outbreak at Grille at Gold Dust West
The Salmonella outbreak that is associated with the Grille at Gold Dust West restaurant in Elko, Nevada is still under investigation. At least seventeen people are sick in that outbreak, according to news reports. Now, eggs seem to be the focus of the investigation. Several news outlets state that the Nevada health department has asked the restaurant to remove eggs from its menu. The investigation of other menu items continues. Lab tests on the eggs and other foods are due next week. Eggs have been the source of Salmonella outbreaks for years. Most recently, a 2018 Salmonella Enteritidis outbreak linked to recalled Gravel Ridge Farms shell eggs sickened 44 people in 11 states. Twelve people were hospitalized in that outbreak because they were so seriously ill. Another outbreak, … [Read more...]
Salmonella Outbreak at Grille at Gold Dust West in Nevada Sickens 17
A Salmonella outbreak at Grille at Gold Dust West in Elko, Nevada has sickened at least 17 people, according to news reports. There is no information about this outbreak on the Nevada Division of Public and Behavioral Health. We don't know what type of Salmonella made people sick, and there is no information about how the illnesses may have been transmitted. We also do not know if anyone has been hospitalized because their illness is severe. The cause of the outbreak has not been determined. The restaurant is not closed and the company is cooperating with the investigation. Salmonella outbreaks have been linked to everything from chicken to turkey to ground beef to leafy greens and eggs in the past. Food safety lawyer Fred Pritzker, who has represented many people sickened … [Read more...]
Worker with Hepatitis A at Trader Joe’s in Reno, Nevada Diagnosed Weeks Ago
An employee at the Trader Joe's store in Reno, Nevada has been diagnosed with hepatitis A. This information just came out two days ago, but the employee worked there in October, so it's too late for anyone who may have been exposed to get a hepatitis A or immune globulin vaccination. A sign was posted at the store by the Washoe County Health District, but they do not have any information about this issue on their website. That employee is a checker and a stocker. Since checkers do not wear gloves when they handle food, consumers may have been exposed to the virus. That Trader Joe's store is located at 5035 South McCarran Boulevard. The employee worked there between October 20 and October 31, 2017. Since vaccinations are only effective if given within two weeks of exposure, the … [Read more...]
Reno Provisions Closing; Made Dessert Linked to Twisted Fork Outbreak
According to a message on its Facebook page, Reno Provisions, the cafe that made a dessert linked to a food poisoning outbreak in Nevada in 2015, is closing. An E. coli outbreak at the Twisted Fork restaurant in Reno, Nevada last year sickened at least 22 people. Investigators at the Washoe County Health District discovered that chocolate mousse made by Reno Provisions, a store and cafe, for the restaurant was contaminated with the pathogenic bacteria. Apparently a blender used for meat that was not cleaned properly before it was used again to make the mousse was the culprit. The outbreak took place in October and November, 2015. The Health District ordered Reno Provisions to establish a Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) system approach to address the outbreak and learn … [Read more...]
Meat Blender Contaminated Chocolate Mousse with E. coli
When an E. coli outbreak at the Twisted Fork in Reno, Nevada was linked to a dessert item prepared by another company, many people wondered: what can it be? Something containing fresh berries? Something made from unpasteurized dairy? Was it undercooked ground beef? Nope. It turns out that the chocolate mousse made for the restaurant by Reno Provisions that gave 22 people E. coli infections was contaminated when a blender used for meat was not cleaned properly before it was used again to make the mousse. Washoe County District Health Officer Kevin Dick said in a statement, "several people who ate at the Twisted Fork restaurant had the dessert, as did some other people outside the Reno area who then developed the E. coli infection. That commonality led investigators to the dessert … [Read more...]
What Was in the Dessert at the Twisted Fork Restaurant?
The source of the E. coli O157:H7 outbreak that sickened almost two dozen people in Reno, Nevada has been identified. The outbreak at the Twisted Fork restaurant has been linked to a dessert that was manufactured, sold, and distributed by Reno Provisions. Washoe County District Health Officer Kevin Dick said in a statement, "Our epidemiologists and environmental health staff have identified a dessert that was prepared by Reno Provisions. Several people who ate at the Twisted Fork restaurant had the dessert, as did some other people outside the Reno area who then developed the E. coli infection. That commonality led investigators to the dessert supplier, and to tests of food and equipment at Reno Provisions." Public health officials are now investigating the manufacturer of the … [Read more...]
E. coli Outbreak at Twisted Fork Restaurant in Reno, Nevada
At least eight people are sick in an E.coli outbreak that may be associated with the Twisted Fork restaurant in south Reno, Nevada. The Washoe County Health District is investigating. Public health officials were notified of the outbreak on November 4, 2015, with six cases reported at that time. These cases are not related to the E. coli outbreak linked to High Hill Farms apple juice in California or the outbreak linked to Chipotle restaurants in Oregon and Washington state. There is no information on the age range of the patients, or when they ate at the restaurant. There is also no information on whether or not people have been hospitalized in this outbreak. The restaurant is cooperating with government officials, and remains open. Dr. Randall Todd with the Washoe County Health … [Read more...]
Caramel Apple Listeria Outbreak Spreads to Nevada
The caramel apple Listeria outbreak has spread to an 11th state, Nevada. One person from Nevada is among the 32 people who contracted Listeria infections after eating contaminated, prepackaged, commercially prepared caramel apples. Six people have died. By state, the case count is as follows: Arizona (4), California (2), Minnesota (4), Missouri (5), Nevada (1), New Mexico (6), North Carolina (1), Texas (4), Utah (1), Washington (1), and Wisconsin (3). The outbreak spans a huge age range from babies born prematurely to one case patient who was 92. Ten of the illnesses are associated with a pregnancy, and one pregnant woman has suffered a fetal loss. Three children under the age of 15 have been diagnosed with Listeria meningitis. A link has beeb established to Granny Smith apples … [Read more...]
Firefly Tapas Kitchen Lawsuit Puts Food Safety on Trial
A Salmonella lawsuit filed against the Las Vegas restaurant, Firefly Tapas Kitchen and Bar, is calling into question the establishment's past food safety discipline in an attempt to achieve justice for the people who suffered serious illnesses in an outbreak that received nationwide attention back in April and May. According to a legal complaint on file in Nevada's Clark County District Court, the restaurant's food safety inspection score was so overloaded with demerits at the time of the outbreak that the facility was shut down to minimize ongoing risk to public health. It has since reopened. At Pritzker Olsen Attorneys, the case has been assigned to the firm's Bad Bug Law Team, which has been working on pre-settlement issues surrounding insurance and the lawsuit's allegations of … [Read more...]
