A new hepatitis A outbreak has been issued on the FDA's CORE Outbreak Investigation Table. At least nine people have been sickened in this new outbreak. And there are still two Listeria monocytogenes outbreaks on the table, while the Salmonella Typhimurium outbreak linked to Sun Sprouts alfalfa sprouts has ended. This new hepatitis A outbreak is not yet linked to any particular food. We do not know the patient age range, illness onset dates, or whether or not anyone has been hospitalized. The FDA has initiated traceback, but there has not been any on-site inspection, recall, sample collection, or laboratory analysis yet. And there is a mystery Listeria monocytogenes outbreak that is still unsolved. In that investigation, traceback has been initiated, and an on-site inspection has … [Read more...]
How Many Enoki Mushroom Listeria Recalls Have Been Enacted?
How many enoki mushroom Listeria monocytogenes recalls have been enacted in the past few months? For starters, enoki mushrooms were the most recalled food of 2022. And some imported recalled enoki mushrooms are linked to a Listeria monocytogenes outbreak that has sickened at least three people in three states. This product has been problematic for years. In 2020, a deadly outbreak sickened at least 36 people in 17 states, hospitalizing 31 of them. Four people died, and two fetal losses were recorded. In fact, last fall the FDA launched a food safety strategy to try to protect the public from contaminated enoki mushrooms. Here's the list, along with outbreak information: In November 2022, Green Day Produce enoki mushrooms were recalled for possible Listeria. These mushrooms … [Read more...]
At Least 130 Sick in Norovirus Outbreak at Las Vegas School
A bout of vomiting last week at the Wayne N. Tanaka Elementary School in Las Vegas, Nevada was caused by norovirus, according to news reports. At least 130 kids were projectile vomiting at this norovirus outbreak at Las Vegas school, according to MSN. The children were sickened during the school day. That quick onset does point to norovirus as the culprit. And that pathogen was confirmed in lab tests a few days ago that were conducted by the Southern Nevada Health District. Norovirus is very contagious and is spread through contaminated food and drink, through contact with surfaces (fomites), and also through person-to-person contact. Symptoms of norovirus include vomiting, nausea, stomach pain, and diarrhea. Some patients may also have fever, headache, and body aches. Most … [Read more...]
CDC Weighs In On Listeria Monocytogenes Enoki Outbreak
The CDC has weighed in on the Listeria monocytogenes enoki outbreak that has sickened at least three people in three states. Two brands of enoki mushrooms are linked to this outbreak. Utopia Foods mushrooms with bar code 8928918610017, and Sun Hong Foods Shandong mushrooms are the products in question. Both were imported from China. There are two strains of Listeria monocytogenes that have sickened people in this outbreak. The Maryland Department of Health found both outbreak strains in Sun Hong Foods mushrooms that were produced by Shandong Youth Biotechnology Company in China. The case count has not changed in the last two weeks. It remains: California (1), Nevada (1), and Michigan (1). All three patients have been hospitalized because they are so ill. The government … [Read more...]
More Enoki Mushrooms Linked to Listeria Outbreak
More enoki mushrooms have been linked to a Listeria monocytogenes outbreak that has sickened and hospitalized three patients, according to the FDA. This outbreak, which was first reported in November 2022, was first linked to recalled Utopia Foods enoki mushrooms that were imported from China. In addition, two strains of Listeria monocytogenes have been identified in this outbreak. The bacteria was found through whole genome sequencing. The second brand of mushrooms are produced by Shandong Youth Biotechnology with an address in China, which were distributed by Sun Hong Foods, Inc. A safety alert was issued about these mushrooms on December 17, 2022 after a positive product sample was collected by officials in Missouri. At that time, the mushrooms were not linked to this … [Read more...]
Two Listeria Strains in Utopia Enoki Outbreak, Says FDA
There are two Listeria strains in Utopia enoki mushroom outbreak, according to the FDA. And there are three people sick in this outbreak as of January 18, 2023, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The FDA states, "Through ongoing sampling efforts, FDA and state partners have been collecting and testing samples of enoki mushrooms. An import sample of enoki mushrooms branded as Utopia Foods, Inc. was collected by FDA and was reported as being positive for Listeria monocytogenes. Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) analysis determined that the strain of Listeria found in this sample matches the strain of Listeria linked to two illnesses in this outbreak. FDA also detected an additional strain of Listeria monocytogenes in this sample, which is linked to one … [Read more...]
Three Sick in Utopia Enoki Mushrooms Listeria Outbreak
There are three sick in Utopia enoki mushrooms Listeria monocytogenes outbreak, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as of January 18, 2023. That is an increase of one more case since the last update on November 17, 2022. All three patients have been hospitalized. The case count per state is: California (1), Michigan (1), and Nevada (1). Samples from patients were collected from October 3, 2022 to October 8, 2022. The patient age range is from 30 to 56 years. Two of the patients are Hispanic, and one is Asian. Two of the patients told investigators that they ate enoki mushrooms or ate at restaurants with menu items containing enoki mushrooms before they got sick. The third patient did not report eating enoki mushrooms but did shop at various Asian … [Read more...]
FDA Adds NE Salmonella Alfalfa Sprout Outbreak to CORE Table
The FDA has added the Nebraska Salmonella alfalfa sprout outbreak to its CORE Outbreak Investigation Table. At least 15 people are sick, an increase of three more patients since the Nebraska advisory was released on December 23, 2022. The pathogen is Salmonella Typhimurium. The FDA states, "A multistate outbreak of Salmonella Typhimurium (reference #1137) has been added to the table. The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services and the Nebraska Department of Agriculture issued an advisory regarding illnesses in their state. Preliminary information gathered by state partners indicates that patients consumed alfalfa sprouts prior to becoming ill. FDA’s investigation is underway to confirm the product causing illnesses and additional information will be provided when it becomes … [Read more...]
Top 10 Food Poisoning Outbreaks for 2022: Number Ten Enoki
It's time for the top 10 food poisoning outbreaks of 2022. There were not many multistate outbreaks this year; just a few more than the pandemic year of 2020 according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). But there were still hundreds of Americans sickened by contaminated food. And the case counts for these outbreaks are likely far lower than the actual number sickened because any people aren't diagnosed and not included. Most of these outbreaks have ended, but a couple are still ongoing. Number ten is the newest outbreak, the Listeria monocytogenes outbreak that is linked to enoki mushrooms imported from Korea. (By the way, enoki mushrooms were the most recalled food of 2022.) This outbreak investigation has not been updated for more than a month. The last … [Read more...]
Mariscos Bahia Seafood Salmonella Outbreak Ends With 39 Sick
The Mariscos Bahia seafood Salmonella Litchfield outbreak has ended with 39 people sick in four states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). That is an increase of six more patients since the last investigation update that was issued on October 25, 2022. The outbreak has ended as of December 14, 2022. The patient case count by state is: Arizona (13), California (24), Illinois (1), and Texas (1). Illinois has been added to the state list. The new patients live in California and Arizona. Illness onset dates range from June 14, 2022 to October 23, 2022. The patient age range is from 1 to 80 years. Of 32 people who gave information to investigators, 15 were hospitalized, for a hospitalization rate of 47%, which is high for a Salmonella outbreak. Eighteen … [Read more...]
