The multidrug resistant Salmonella Infantis outbreak linked to raw chicken has hit consumers in Massachusetts, New York, Ohio, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania hard. Those states have 46 of the 92 patients who have been sickened in this multidrug-resistant Salmonella outbreak. We don't know why the outbreak has been concentrated in the northeast United States. While outbreaks are often limited to a certain geographical area, officials do not have a specific company or product that is linked to this outbreak. And there are illnesses in the southern U.S., the midwest, and the west coast as well. There are two big concerns about this Salmonella Infantis outbreak. The first is that the bacteria is resistant to so many antibiotics. That means that people may be sicker, and that their … [Read more...]
Multidrug Resistant Salmonella Infantis Chicken Outbreak Hits Consumers in MA, NY, PA, NJ, OH Hard
Lawyers Investigating Multistate E. coli O157:H7 Infections Linked to Chopped Romaine
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention just announced that the E. coli O157:H7 outbreak they have been investigating is now linked to chopped romaine lettuce from the Yuma, Arizona region. As of April 12, 2018, 35 people in 11 states are sick with the outbreak strain. Twenty-two of those patients have been hospitalized; three patients have developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a type of kidney failure. No common growers, supplier, distributor, or brand has been identified so far, but government officials recommended that anyone, anywhere in the country, who has purchased chopped romaine lettuce, including salads and salad mixes containing that green, should throw it away. If you aren't sure where the lettuce came from, get rid of it. Discard it even if some of it has … [Read more...]
CDC Investigating Multistate Outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 Infections
A multistate outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 infections is being investigated by the CDC, several states, the FDA, and the USDA. This is a continuation of the outbreak that started in New Jersey and was reported on by the New Jersey Department of Health. Earlier this week, the NJDOH reported that seven people were sick with E. coli infections in an outbreak that may be associated with a restaurant chain. Now, at least 17 people in 7 states are sick. Six people have been hospitalized. No deaths have been reported. Investigators are using the PulseNet system to find people who may be part of this particular outbreak. DNA fingerprinting has been performed on isolates taken from ill persons using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and whole genome sequencing (WGS). Lab testing is … [Read more...]
New Jersey Updates E. coli Outbreak That May Be Linked to a Restaurant Chain
The E. coli outbreak in New Jersey has been updated by the New Jersey Department of Health. Eight people living in four counties in that state have been diagnosed with E. coli infections. Those counties are Hunterdon (4 patients), Warren (1 patient), Middlesex (1 patient) and Somerset (2 patients.) There is a "possible association with a chain restaurant" according to the outbreak notice. But the notice also states that "the association may be broader than a single chain restaurant." Lab tests are underway, and public health officials are waiting to see if the strain of E. coli bacteria in the eight patents in this E. coli outbreak match. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will then conduct confirmatory tests. All eight patients have been hospitalized in this … [Read more...]
New Jersey Officials Investigating Panera Breads as Possible E. coli Source
According to news reports, officials in New Jersey are "investigating a cluster of E. coli cases" that may be associated with "local Panera Breads," according to Sarah Perramant, public health epidemiologist in Warren County. This was reported by NJ.com yesterday afternoon. It's important to note that the cluster of E. coli illnesses in that state has not been definitively linked to the Panera restaurant chain, and that health officials have not determined that Panera is the source. In fact, the outbreak may extend beyond one single restaurant chain. The investigation is continuing, with investigators interviewing witnesses, conducting traceback investigations, and using other methods of outbreak epidemiology. The six people who are sick live in Hunterdon, Middlesex, Somersest, … [Read more...]
Possible E. coli Outbreak in New Jersey May be Linked to Unnamed Restaurant Chain
An E. coli outbreak that has sickened six people in four counties may be linked to a restaurant chain, according to news reports. The Health Department reportedly said that those six patients live in Hunterdon, Middlesex, Somersest, and Warren counties. There is no information about this potential E. coli outbreak on any of the New Jersey government websites. At this time we don't know the strain of bacteria that has made people sick, the ages of the patients, or illness onset dates. We also do not know if anyone has been hospitalized, or if anyone has developed HUS. Government officials are not naming the chain until this potential E. coli outbreak is confirmed. Officials are interviewing patients and asking where they have eaten in the past week, as well as the foods they … [Read more...]
New York, Rhode Island, New Jersey Warn Against Udder Milk Brucella Risk
The state health departments of New York, Rhode Island, and New Jersey are all warning consumers about the possibility of Udder Milk Brucella contamination in raw milk. A New Jersey woman has been diagnosed with an antibiotic-resistant Brucella infection after her "reported purchase" of raw milk from Udder Milk. It is illegal to sell raw milk at the retail level in all of those states. Sales of raw goat milk directly to the consumer are permitted in Rhode Island with a doctor's prescription. You can buy raw milk directly on a farm in New York state. It is illegal to sell raw milk in any form in New Jersey. And it's illegal to transport and sell raw milk across state lines in the United States. Udder Milk received orders online. Then customers would meet drivers at specific drop … [Read more...]
FDA Warns Consumers About Possible Brucella Risks in Raw Milk Sold by Udder Milk in NJ NY CT RI
The FDA is warning consumers who purchased raw milk from Udder Milk Co-Op that they may have been exposed to the RB51 strain of Brucella abortus, a pathogenic bacteria that can cause serious illness. A woman in New Jersey who drank the company's milk has been infected with an antibiotic-resistant strain of that bacteria. Anyone who drank or ate Udder Milk raw milk or raw milk products should contact their doctor immediately and get post-exposure prophylaxis antibiotic treatment to avoid infection. Since this bacteria is resistant to antibiotics, any illness caused by these products can be serious. The only way to diagnose people infected with this strain of Brucella is to grow the bacteria through cultures. Most doctors do not test for Brucella when patients present with the … [Read more...]
Udder Milk in New Jersey Ordered to Stop Illegally Selling Raw Milk
Udder Milk, a home delivery company in New Jersey, has been ordered to stop illegally selling raw milk in that state by the New Jersey Department of Health (DOH). Officials were notified on October 23, 2017 that a New Jersey woman had been sickened with a Brucella infection; the strain was identified as RB51. She has since recovered. Brucella RB51 is a rare type of that pathogenic bacteria that can cause serious illness. Government officials are investigating to see if her illness is connected to another Brucella outbreak linked to K-Bar Dairy in Texas that occurred earlier this year. This summer, people in seven states were reportedly sickened with symptoms of a Brucella infection, although most were not formally diagnosed. The USDA and CDC are joining the New Jersey DOH to … [Read more...]
Salmonella Urbana Infections Linked to Imported Maradol Papayas
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has split the large Salmonella outbreak linked to different imported Maradol papayas into four separates outbreaks. Each outbreak is inked to papayas imported from four different farms in Mexico. This outbreak, which has sickened 7 people in 3 states, was caused by Salmonella Urbana. Illnesses in this outbreak started on dates ranging from July 23, 20107 to August 14, 2017. Four people have been hospitalized. No deaths have been reported. The case count by state is: New Jersey (5), New York (1), and Pennsylvania (1). Illnesses started on dates ranging from July 13, 2017 to August 14, 2017. Four people have been hospitalized in this outbreak. No deaths have been reported. Ill people range in age from less than 1 year to 57, with a median … [Read more...]
