The Famous Anthony's Hepatitis A Virginia outbreak has now sickened 35 people and hospitalized more than 20 of those patients, according to news reports. The Roanoke City and Alleghany Health Districts announced on Tuesday, October 12, 2021 that the cases have more than doubled over the last two weeks. The illnesses are linked to three Famous Anthony's restaurant locations in Roanoke. The outbreak was first reported to the public on September 24, 2021. One employee had worked at the three locations (on Grandin Road, Williamson Road, and Crystal Spring Avenue) while infectious. Unfortunately, the number of patients in this Famous Anthony's hepatitis A outbreak is still expected to increase, since the incubation period for this illness is up to 50 days after infection. The employee … [Read more...]
Minnesota Salmonella Oranienburg Outbreak Grows to 20 Sick
The Minnesota Salmonella Oranienburg outbreak has grown to include 20 patients, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Overall, at least 419 people in 35 states are sick, and 66 people are hospitalized. Government officials have not yet definitely named the food source that has caused all of these illnesses, but there have been a few clues. In the last update, the CDC said that the outbreak strain of Salmonella Oranienburg was found in a restaurant takeout condiment cup that contained cilantro, onions, and limes, and may have included peppers. While limes are probably not the source, since the pH of that fruit is too low to support Salmonella growth, the other three foods may be the culprit. There have been Salmonella outbreaks linked to all of those … [Read more...]
Famous Anthony’s Virginia Hepatitis A Outbreak Increases to 14 Sick
The Famous Anthony's Virginia Hepatitis A outbreak case count has increased to 14 from 10, according to news reports. Dr. Cynthia Morrow with the Roanoke City and Alleghany Health Districts talked to the press about the outbreak during Zoom meetings on September 28, 2021. The outbreak began when a restaurant employee, who worked at three of the chain's restaurants in Roanoke, Virginia, was diagnosed with the viral illness. There is no ongoing concern about eating at the chain's locations, according to Dr. Morrow, because the employee worked there in late August 2021. The restaurant is cooperating with the health department in the investigation. The locations where that employee worked were at 4913 Grandin Road, 6499 Williamson Road, and Crystal Spring Avenue in Roanoke. By the … [Read more...]
Is Salmonella Oranienburg Outbreak Connected to Onions or Limes?
The rapidly expanding Salmonella Oranienburg outbreak has not yet been definitively solved by the FDA or CDC, but there are clues in the latest investigation information. On Friday, September 24, 2021, the CDC said that they found the outbreak strain in a takeout condiment cup that contained cilantro, onion, and lime. Is the Salmonella Oranienburg outbreak connected to onions or lime? Information posted at the National Center for Biotechnology Information stated that cilantro has tested positive for Salmonella Oranienburg, but we don't know if the strain has been definitely established as the outbreak strain. That is probably why the CDC has not declared that this outbreak is linked to cilantro. So what about lime? The pH of this fruit can vary depending on growing conditions and … [Read more...]
Famous Anthony’s Hepatitis A Outbreak Sickens 10 in Roanoke, VA
A potential Famous Anthony's hepatitis A outbreak in Roanoke, Virginia has sickened at least 10 people, according to news reports and the Roanoke City and Alleghany Health Districts. An employee who tested positive for the virus worked while infectious at three Famous Anthony's restaurants that are located on Grandin Road, Williamson Road, and Crystal Spring Avenue in that city. All ten patients were hospitalized. Officials think the case count will increase. The employee worked there between August 10 and August 26, 2021. That means that it is too late for anyone who was exposed there during that time frame to get the hepatitis A or immune globulin vaccine. The vaccine is only effective if given within two weeks of exposure. The virus is very contagious and is spread through … [Read more...]
Cilantro Condiment Cup Tests Positive For Salmonella Oranienburg
A cilantro condiment cup has tested positive for the outbreak strain of Salmonella Oranienburg, according to the latest update on the mystery Salmonella outbreak. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says that the sample was then from a takeout condiment cup containing cilantro, lime, and onions. State and local officials have collected food items from one of the restaurants where sick people ate. But because multiple food items were ini the condiment cup and in the sample that was tested, it is "not possible" to know which food item was contaminated. Public health officials are using this information together with other information to help narrow the list of possible foods that may be linked to these illnesses. But in a dendrogram that was posted on the National … [Read more...]
Cilantro May Be the Source in Mystery Multistate Salmonella Outbreak
Cilantro may be the source in the mystery multistate Salmonella Oranienburg outbreak, according to a dendrogram on the National Center for Biotechnology Information site, part of the National Institutes of Health. According to that information, cilantro has tested positive for Salmonella Oranienburg, the bacteria that has caused this outbreak. Cilantro has been linked to many food poisoning outbreaks in the past. It is a herb that is commonly used in Tex-Mex cooking. And 43% of the cases in this outbreak are in Texas and Oklahoma. In 2015, cilantro was linked to a huge cyclospora outbreak that sickened at least 218 people in Texas and Wisconsin. And in 2014, another cyclospora outbreak was linked to fresh cilantro. The same thing happened in 2013. Going further back, in 2008, … [Read more...]
Mystery Salmonella Outbreak Expands to 279 Sick and 26 Hospitalized
The mystery Salmonella outbreak has suddenly expanded to 279 sick and 26 hospitalized in 29 states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). That's an increase of 152 new patients and eight new hospitalizations in just the last four days, with four more states added to the total. The pathogen is Salmonella Oranienburg. The government still does not know what food has caused this massive outbreak. And since Salmonella illnesses are very underreported, with a multiplier used by epidemiologists of 29, there could be more than 8,000 people sick in just this particular outbreak. The patient case count by state is: Arkansas (7), California (5), Connecticut (5), Florida (2), Illinois (28), Indiana (1), Iowa (1), Kansas (6), Maryland (9), Massachusetts (10), … [Read more...]
Restaurant Shredded Pork Associated With Salmonella Outbreak in Canada
Restaurant shredded pork is associated with a Salmonella outbreak in the greater Toronto area in Ontario, Canada, according to a recall notice posted at the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) web site. Illnesses associated with the consumption of these products are being investigated by the Ministry of Health in Ontario and Public Health Ontario, local public health units, and food safety partners. There is no word on the number of people sickened, the patient age range, illness onset dates, or the names of the restaurants. Neither Public Health Ontario or The Ministry of Health in Ontario have posted anything about this outbreak. The notice did state that the restaurants are serving the recalled products in Vietnamese/Asian meals in the greater Toronto area. Public health … [Read more...]
Restaurants Are Included in a Salmonella Outbreak That Has Sickened 127
Restaurants are included in a Salmonella outbreak that has sickened at least 127 people in 25 states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The government does not yet know which food item caused this outbreak, or if there is another cause. Eighteen people, out of 49 that gave information to health officials, have been hospitalized, which is a rate of 37%, almost double the typical Salmonella outbreak rate. This could mean that more vulnerable people were sickened, or that the pathogen is quite virulent, or that the pathogen load in the food was quite high. The CDC has stated that several subclusters at restaurants in multiple states have been identified. These subclusters can help officials solve outbreaks, since they can use traceback from … [Read more...]
