A new Listeria monocytogenes outbreak has been listed on the FDA's CORE Outbreak Investigation Table, with 13 people sick. Traceback has been initiated, but no inspection has been started, and there has been no sample collection or analyzing. We do not know the patient case count by state, patient age ranges, or illness onset dates. The FDA will not release much more information about this outbreak unless there are some things that the public can do to protect itself. There are still four active outbreak investigations on the table. The E. coli O121:H19 outbreak linked to romaine lettuce, which sickened at least four people, has been closed with no resolution. No brand or farm or even a growing area was named. The four active outbreaks are: An Enteroinvasive E. coli O143:H26 … [Read more...]
Montgomery County Updates Deadly Hepatitis A Restaurant Outbreak
Montgomery County has updated the deadly hepatitis A restaurant outbreak associated with Gino's Ristorante & Pizzeria with more information. Three deaths are linked to this outbreak. There are thirteen cases under investigation. Ten are confirmed and three remain suspect. Ongoing interviews with patients have confirmed that the exposure occurred in late November and no longer presents a risk to the public. MCOPH's Division of Environmental Field Services has lifted the closure of Gino's Ristorante & Pizzeria in West Norriton, Pennsylvania after a conducting a re-opening inspection on Thursday, January 20, 2022. During the inspection, public health officials emphasized the requirement of proper and thorough hand washing and glove/utensil use when handling ready-to-eat … [Read more...]
Gino’s Ristorante & Pizzeria Hepatitis A Outbreak Update
The Gino's Ristorante & Pizzeria Hepatitis A outbreak has been updated with more information, according to news reports. A second death has been confirmed, and a third death is being investigated in relation to this outbreak. Ten cases are confirmed and three probable cases are under investigation by public health officials. The outbreak was confirmed by the Montgomery County Health Department in Pennsylvania on January 7, 2021, and is associated with the restaurant at this time. The restaurant is located at 2401 Main Street in Norristown, Pennsylvania, located in West Norriton Township in that state. Gino's Ristorante & Pizzeria management has denied responsibility for the outbreak and has issued a statement that says, in part, "We offer our heartfelt condolences to the … [Read more...]
Gino’s Ristorante & Pizzeria Closed in Deadly PA Hepatitis A Outbreak Investigation
Gino's Ristorante & Pizzeria in West Norriton Township, Pennsylvania has been temporarily closed in the deadly hepatitis A outbreak announced this week by Montgomery County officials. The restaurant is located at 2401 Main Street in Norristown. The closure will remain in place while public health officials investigate this outbreak. As of January 7, 2021, 11 cases are under investigation. That is an increase of three cases since the outbreak was announced. Nine cases are confirmed. Of the nine people who are confirmed, seven have been hospitalized. One death is confirmed, and an additional death is under investigation. The exposure to the virus allegedly occurred in late November, 2021, according to the county press release. The source of the virus is under investigation. And … [Read more...]
Eight Sick and One Possible Death in PA Hepatitis A Outbreak
Eight people are sick and there is one possible death in a Pennsylvania hepatitis A outbreak that is associated with an unnamed Italian restaurant, according to a health advisory issued by the Pennsylvania Department of Health (PADOH) and the Montgomery County Office of Public Health (MCOPH). That restaurant is located in Montgomery County in Southeast Pennsylvania. The eight cases are all lab-confirmed. Of seven people who gave information to public health investigators about their health, six, or 86%, have been hospitalized. One death is under investigation at this time. Healthcare providers in the area should consider hepatitis A as a diagnosis in anyone who presents with jaundice or elevated liver enzymes and clinically compatible symptoms of the disease. All cases must be … [Read more...]
BrightFarms Leafy Salad Greens Salmonella Outbreak Ends With 31 Sick
The BrightFarms leafy salad greens Salmonella outbreak has ended with 31 sick in four states and four hospitalized, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). On the last update on case counts, which was issued in July 2021, there were only 11 people sick and two hospitalized. Another state, Pennsylvania, was added to the case count. The case count by state is: Illinois (18), Michigan (1), Pennsylvania (2), and Wisconsin (10). Illness onset dates range from June 10, 2021 to August 18, 2021. The patient age range was from less than 1 year to 86 years. The hospitalization rate was not given. Ofificlas interviewed people about the foods they ate before they got sick. They also collected shopper card records to discover which specific products were purchased. … [Read more...]
Pennsylvania Camp Yersinia Outbreak in 2019 Linked to Pasteurized Milk
A Pennsylvania camp Yersinia outbreak in 2019 was linked to pasteurized milk that was produced and pasteurized at a small local dairy in the northeastern part of the state. Cases occurred in campers, camp staff, and community members who were not affiliated with the camp. One hundred nine people were sickened, and seven people were hospitalized. This was only the sixth Yersinia enterocolitica outbreak reported worldwide in association with pasteurized milk. Four of these outbreaks were at small dairies conducting on-site pasteurization. Five clinical isolates from camp members, two from community members, and nine isolates from unpasteurized milk from the dairy were indistinguishable using whole genome sequencing. The risk for yersinosis among camp staff who drank the dairy's … [Read more...]
CDC Weighs In On Plainville Ground Turkey Salmonella Hadar Outbreak
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is weighing on on the Plainville ground turkey Salmonella Hadar outbreak that has sickened at least 28 people in 12 states. Epidemiologic, traceback, and laboratory data show that ground turkey has been making people sick. The patient case count by state is: Arizona (1), Connecticut (1), Indiana (1), Maine (1), Massachusetts (7), Missouri (1), New Hampshire (1), New Jersey (2), New York (4), North Carolina (3), Pennsylvania (4), and Virginia (2). Two people have been hospitalized because they are so sick. Illness onset dates range from December 28, 2020 to march 4, 2021. The patient age range is from less than 1 year to 92. The outbreak may not be limited to these states. The ground turkey products that are linked to the … [Read more...]
Crystal Brook Farm Raw Goat Milk Recalled For E. coli O157:H7
The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture told consumers who bought Crystal Brook Farm raw goat milk or raw goat milk yogurt whey or cottage cheese to discard it immediately because these products may be contaminated with a "disease-causing strain" of E. coli bacteria; in other words, E. coli O157:H7. This warning pertains only to these products sold on or before October 13, 2020. The Crystal Brook Farm raw goat milk was sold in two locations in Lancaster County. The first is Crystal Brook Farm Store at 3568 Scenic Road in Gordonville, and the Dutch Meadow Retail Store at 694 Country Lane in Paradise, Pennsylvania. The milk was sold in plastic half gallons. The milk, whey, and cottage cheese may have been further distributed to other retail locations by Dutch Meadows Distribution … [Read more...]
FDA Releases Final Report on Tailor Cut Salmonella Fruit Mix Outbreak
The FDA has released its final report on the Tailor Cut Salmonella Fruit Mix outbreak that sickened at least 165 people in 14 states. The outbreak is linked to fruit mix sold by Tailor Cut Produce of North Brunswick, New Jersey. The mix contained cantaloupe, honeydew, pineapple, and red grapes. This outbreak is over as of February 18, 2020. It was caused by Salmonella Javiana. The case count by state is: California (1) Colorado (1), Connecticut (1), Delaware (49), Florida (1), Georgia (1), Illinois (1), Massachusetts (1), Minnesota (1), New Jersey (50), New York (7), Pennsylvania (49), Virginia (1), and Washington (1). Seventy-three people were hospitalized, which is a high percentage for a Salmonella outbreak. Many of those sickened ate the fruit while they were in hospitals, long … [Read more...]