The CDC has issued a final report on the cyclospora outbreaks that hit the United States in 2019. This illness is most common in the summer months, and can run from May through September. Multiple outbreaks of cyclosporiasis were identified and linked to different produce items this year. As of November 13, 2019, there are 2,408 laboratory-confirmed cases of cyclosporiasis in 37 states, the District of Columbia, and New York City. These people got sick between May 1 and August 31, 2019, and had no history of international travel during the 14-day period before illness onset. At least 144 people were hospitalized in the various outbreaks. Multiple illness clusters were associated with different restaurants and events. About 10% of ill persons were associated with a multistate … [Read more...]
Is Truong Phu Xanh Yellowfin Tuna Linked to Scombrotoxin Outbreak?
The FDA has released a notice about their investigation of Scombrotoxin fish poisoning that is linked to yellowfin tuna. As a result of this investigation, the government has placed Truong Phu Xanh Company of Vietnam on Import Alert, so the FDA field staff can detain the product without physical examination. This fish cannot enter the US unless the importer proves it meets U.S. food safety standards. FDA has asked the supplier of yellowfin tuna that is associated with most of the illnesses, Truong Phu Xanh Co., to initiate a voluntary recall of all of its imported yellowfin tuna with production dates from January 2019 to the prevent. The firm has not recalled any of the fish to date. As part of the investigation, the FDA has evaluated the firm's Hazard Analysis and Critical … [Read more...]
Tip Top Poultry Listeria Recall Updated to Include Retailers
The Tip Top Poultry Listeria recall, issued on September 28, 2019, has been updated to alert consumers that the ready-to-eat chicken products were used in more products, that is, secondary recalls. Some of these products may have been served from the deli country in retail stores. A list of the retailers that may have sold these products has been released, and pictures of product labels have also been released. These lists will be updated "as more information becomes available," according to the USDA. Some of the retailers that may have sold some of these products in certain states include Food Lion in North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Maryland,West Virginia, Delaware, Tennessee, and Georgia; IGA is South Carolina and Georgia, BI-LO in New Jersey, South Carolina, and Georgia, … [Read more...]
How to Report a Problem With Food to the FDA and USDA
Most Americans have had food poisoning at one time or another, giving that 48,000,000 Americans contract this form of illness every year. Most people think they have the "stomach flu" or a "24 hour bug" when they actually have food poisoning. How do you report a problem with food? What do you do if you think you have food poisoning? First, know the symptoms of food poisoning for various pathogens: E. coli, Listeria monocytogenes, and Salmonella. You can report your illness to the government if you think that a problem with food (such as the Northfork Bison E. coli outbreak) purchased from a store is the problem. First, call your doctor to get necessary treatment. Many foodborne illnesses can have long term health complications and this should be noted on your medical … [Read more...]
CDC Weighs In On Bison Burgers E. coli O103 and O121 Outbreak
An E. coli O103 and O121 outbreak linked to Northfork Bison ground bison and Bison Burgers/Buffalo Burgers has sickened at least 21 people in 7 states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). These products are imported from Canada. The case count by state is: Connecticut (1), Florida (4), Michigan (1), Missouri (1), New Jersey (2), New York (9), and Pennsylvania (3). Eight people have been hospitalized. No cases of hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a type of kidney failure, have been reported. Illness onset dates range from March 18 to June 18, 2019. The patient age range is from 6 to 79 years. Six people are sick with E. coli O103, 13 are sick with E. coli O121, and 2 people are sick with both of these pathogens. Epidemiologic and traceback information … [Read more...]
Tequila’s Mexican Grill in Charlotte, MI Closed Amid Suspected Outbreak
Tequila's Mexican Grill, located at 430 North Cochran Avenue in Charlotte, Michigan, was closed again on June 21, 2019 amid a suspected outbreak, according to press releases issued by the Barry-Eaton District Health Department. The latest update, issued on June 21, 2019, states that "information from the investigation and from epidemiology suggests the illness is not norovirus." At first, ten people contacted the health department and said they had been ill after visiting the restaurant. The restaurant was closed on June 18, 2019, and was allowed to re-open on June 19, 2019 after environmental cleaning and staff interviews were conducted. Health department staff then reviewed additional food handling procedures at the facility and found that it was in the best interest of public … [Read more...]
ALDI Bakers Corner All Purpose Flour Recalled For E. coli O26
The FDA has posted two recall announcements for ALDI Bakers Corner Flour because it may be contaminated with E. coli O26 and is linked to an outbreak that has sickened at least 17 people in 8 states. The Rhode Island Department of Health found the pathogen during testing of a bag of flour. The flour was made at the ADM Milling flour mill in Buffalo, New York. The first recall is for 5 pound bags of Bakers Corner All Purpose Flour and is similar to the Rhode Island recall notice. The flour was sold in select ALDI stores in these states: Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont and West Virginia. There are two lot numbers: L18A02 and L18A03. The products have best if used by dates of December 2 and December 3, … [Read more...]
Georgia, Kentucky, Tennessee Hardest Hit in Ground Beef E. coli O103 Outbreak
The states that have been the hardest hit in the ground beef E. coli O103 outbreak are Georgia, Kentucky, and Tennessee. Those states combined have 173 of the 196 people sickened in this outbreak. The outbreak does seem to be slowing down, according to the epidemiological Date of Illness Onset chart. Most cases were diagnosed in mid-March 2019, and have trailed off since then. But even though two companies have recalled raw ground beef products, the outbreak continues to grow. According to the epi chart, there could be as many as 50 more cases in this outbreak before it ends. States are investigating more illnesses that may be part of this outbreak. This outbreak actually begin in Kentucky, when public health officials there noticed a spike in E. coli cases. At first, … [Read more...]
Ground Beef E. coli O103 Outbreak Grows to 196 Sick
The ground beef E. coli O103 outbreak has now sickened at least 196 people in 10 states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Twenty-eight people have been hospitalized because they are so sick. Two people have developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). No one has died. That's an addition of 19 more ill persons since the last update on April 26, 2019. The patient case count by state is: Florida (5), Georgia (49), Illinois (1), Indiana (1), Kentucky (69), Minnesota (1), Mississippi (1), Ohio (12), Tennessee (55), and Virginia (2). The patient age range is from less than 1 year to 84 years, with a median age of 19. The hospitalization rate is 16%. The outbreak notice states that "Ill people in this outbreak ate ground beef from many sources. Some … [Read more...]
Oysters From Mexico Linked to Multistate Shigella Vibrio Outbreak
Oysters from Mexico are linked to a multistate Shigella, Vibrio, E. coli, Campylobacter, and norovirus outbreak, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Some patients were sickened with more than one pathogen. This outbreak was reported by the California Department of Public Health on May 7, 2019; all of the patients at that time lived in California. Now 16 people from five states are ill in this outbreak. Two people have been hospitalized because they are so sick. No deaths have been reported. One recall, by DiCarlo Seafood in Wilmington, California, has been issued. The case count by state is: Alaska (1), California (12), Illinois (1), New Hampshire (1), and Nevada (1). Illness onset dates range from December 16, 2018 to April 4, 2019. The patient age … [Read more...]
