A possible food poisoning outbreak at a Jimmy John's restaurant at 3822 Laclede Avenue in St. Louis, Missouri may have sickened "multiple" students who attend St. Louis University. The University News, the newspaper for that campus, published this information on February 20, 2020. The article states that multiple students got sick "shortly after eating at the sandwich shop, some even being hospitalized." It seems that these illnesses happened in mid to late January 2020. The students attended a campus retreat for an SLU organization and that retreat was catered by Jimmy John's. More than a dozen students were sickened after attending that retreat and eating the food provided by Jimmy John's. They suffered from weakness and vomiting. The paper claims that the restaurant was shut … [Read more...]
Yosemite National Park Stomach Illness Outbreak Sickens Visitors
Federal health officials say a Yosemite National Park stomach illness outbreak has sickened at least a dozen people, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. An investigation has been launched after the reports of illness began, and inspections are being conducted at the service facilities. The illness or origin of the outbreak have not been identified. Those sickened are recovering or have already recovered. There is no information about this outbreak on Yosemite's web site. The concession provider is Aramark. They operate Yosemite's hotels, snack shops, and restaurants. Officials say they are cleaning and disinfecting their venues in the Park, which include the Ahwahnee Hotel. According to NBC News, complaints about Aramark's service have been "numerous," ranging from for food … [Read more...]
What Are the Symptoms of Common Foodborne Pathogens?
Since 48,000,000 Americans are sickened with food poisoning every year, which hospitalizes 128,000 and kills about 3,000, consumers should know the symptoms of these illnesses so they can get prompt treatment. There are 31 different pathogens that are known to cause foodborne illness, but the three most common are Salmonella, Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC), and Listeria monocytogenes. What are the symptoms of common foodborne pathogens? Salmonella Symptoms Symptoms of a Salmonella food poisoning illness include a mild fever, a headache, abdominal cramps, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea that may be bloody. Symptoms usually start 12 to 72 hours after ingestion of the pathogen. Most people do recover on their own without medical treatment, which is why food safety experts use … [Read more...]
FDA Updates Yellowfin Tuna Scombrotoxin Outbreak
The FDA has updated the yellowfin tuna scombrotoxin outbreak that is linked to tuna that has sickened dozens of people in the U.S. In November 2019, FDA placed Truong Phu Xanh Co., LTD of Vietnam on Import Alert, which allows the government to detail the firm's yellowfin tuna without physical examination. Truong Phu Xanh is the supplier of the tuna associated with most of the illnesses. The FDA has also asked the company to initiate a voluntary recall of all of its imported yellowfin (ahi) tuna with production dates from January 2019 to the present, and the firm has not complied. In November 2019, there were 47 people sick with scombrotoxin fish poisoning with illness onset dates from August 8, 2019 to October 15, 2019. As of December 26, 2019, there are 50 people sick in this … [Read more...]
2019 Cyclospora Outbreaks Sickened More Than 2,400
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...]
