Larimar County Health Department is warning consumers who ate or drank at Tortilla Marissa's North of the Border Café at 2635 S. College Avenue in Fort Collins, Colorado, that they may have been exposed to hepatitis A. A food handler has been confirmed with the illness. That person worked at the restaurant while they were infectious. Hepatitis A is a disease that affects the liver. Anyone who ate at the restaurant during the last 14 days should get a hepatitis A or immunoglobulin vaccination immediately. The shot must be given within 14 days of exposure to be effective. The Health Department will be conducting free hepatitis A shot clinics for anyone who ate at the restaurant in the last two weeks. They will be held Sunday June 29, 2014 from 12:00 to 5:00 pm, and on Monday June 30, … [Read more...]
Texas Fuego Restaurant Closes, Part of Salmonella Outbreak
Public health officials in Texas named Fuego Tortilla Grill in College Station as the likely source of an ongoing Salmonella Typhimurium outbreak on Friday. The restaurant closed its doors voluntarily. The restaurant is "statistically significant" in the outbreak of S. Typhimurium, Ohio strain, according to public health officials. The Brazos County Health Department has been working with the Texas Department of State Health Services since September 2013, investigating about 30 cases of Salmonella food poisoning. Twenty-six of those who are ill are residents or visitors to the county. The other four cases are considered secondary infections, probably from contact with those who are sick. No one has died in this outbreak. Environmental samples were collected from the restaurant May … [Read more...]
Hepatitis A Exposure at Red Robin in Springfield, Missouri
The Springfield-Greene County Health Department is alerting the public about a possible hepatitis A exposure at the Red Robin restaurant at 3720 S. Glenstone Avenue in Springfield, Missouri. An individual recently diagnosed with the disease worked there while he or she may have been contagious. Officials fear that 5,000 people may have been exposed to the virus. Anyone who ate at the restaurant from May 8 to May 16, 2014 may have been exposed. A hepatitis A vaccination or an immune globulin vaccination within two weeks of exposure can prevent the disease. Today is two weeks from the first possible exposure date, so it's critical that those who visited the restaurant on May 8, 2014 get a vaccination today. Hepatitis A is a viral infection of the liver that can cause an illness that … [Read more...]
Hepatitis A Exposure at Restaurant in Nyack, NY
Seems like it's the season for hepatitis A. A confirmed case of acute hepatitis A has been identified in a food handler at the La Fontana restaurant in Nyack, New York. Anyone who ate there between March 19 and April 1, 2014 may have been exposed to hepatitis A. The County of Rockland Department of Health is recommending that everyone who ate at the restaurant on March 29, March 30, or April 1, 2014 receive a vaccination. The vaccination is about 80% to 90% effective. The Rockland County Department of Health is offering free vaccines to patrons and employees of the restaurant on Sunday, April 13, 2014 from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm and Monday, April 14, 2014 from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm at the Rockland County Fire Training Center at 35 Firemens Memorial Drive in Pomona. Unfortunately, for … [Read more...]
Outbreak at MI Wild Chef Japanese Steakhouse is Norovirus
The outbreak at the Wild Chef Japanese Steakhouse Bar & Grill was caused by norovirus. At least 300 people have been sickened in this outbreak. Public health officials in Michigan are waiting for laboratory results to determine whether the cause was a sick employee, contaminated food, or another cause. A questionnaire was posted online for patrons of the restaurant to fill out. That was helpful to the data collection phase of the investigation. The restaurant has been disinfected, including cleaning of equipment, floors, walls, and ceilings. Management has written new policies and procedures and retrained staff on the proper use of handwashing equipment, reporting illness, and food preparation. Norovirus is highly contagious and can be transmitted through food and drink, and … [Read more...]
Outbreak at Wild Chef Steakhouse in Ottawa County, Michigan
The Ottawa County Department of Public Health is investigating a gastrointestinal illness outbreak associated with the Wild Chef Japanese Steakhouse Grill and Bar in Holland Township, Michigan, according to WWMT.com. The restaurant closed voluntarily on Tuesday, April 1, 2014 after a number of customers reported becoming ill. More than 100 cases are associated with the restaurant. Public health officials are investigating, and waiting for lab results to pinpoint what is causing the illness and if a particular food is responsible. Symptoms reported included nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, cramps, and fever. Officials are asking that anyone who ate at the restaurant between March 27 and April 1, 2014, to fill out a questionnaire to help them in their investigation. Customers are asked to … [Read more...]
Consumers at Hudson’s Seafood House in SC Exposed to Hepatitis A
According to the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC), customers and staff at Hudson's Seafood House on the Docks in Hilton Head Island may have been exposed to the hepatitis A virus. An employee who worked at the restaurant on the evening of February 15, 2014 has tested positive for the virus. That employee is being treated and has not returned to work. The restaurant is working with DHEC to identify customers and staff who may have been exposed to the virus. This is not a food-borne outbreak. Customers and staff who should receive a hepatitis A vaccination visited the restaurant between 4:00 pm and closing on that day. If you did, you have until March 1, 2014 to get a hepatitis A or immunoglobulin vaccination to avoid getting sick. The vaccination must … [Read more...]
MN Salmonella Outbreak May Be Linked to Maple Grove Restaurant
Updated Information: The Minnesota Department of Health has confirmed that the Salmonella outbreak is linked to eating at Old Country Buffet in Maple Grove, Minnesota. A Salmonella outbreak in Minnesota may be linked to a restaurant in Maple Grove, Food Poisoning Bulletin has learned. A cluster of Salmonella Enteritidis infections has been identified and may be linked to a restaurant about 30 miles northwest of the Twin Cities metropolitan area. A potential source of the outbreak has not yet been identified. Health officials are collecting environmental samples from the restaurant and stool samples from those who were sickened. Tests on the samples will determine the genetic fingerprint of the Salmonella, allowing health officials to determine if the isolates from the patients are a … [Read more...]
Chicken Safety and Cross-Contamination Issues in Restaurants
A study published in the Journal of Food Protection has found there is a big problem in restaurants and chicken preparation. The study found that many restaurants do not follow the FDA Food Code guidance about cross-contamination prevention and proper cooking, and that managers do not have the basic food safety knowledge about chicken. Forty percent of managers said they "never, rarely, or only sometimes designate certain cutting boards for raw meat." One-third of managers said they did not wash and rinse surfaces before sanitizing them. Over half of managers said thermometers weren't used to determine the final internal temperature of chicken. And more than 50% of managers did not know the safe final internal temperature of cooked chicken. Finally, more than half of the managers rinsed … [Read more...]
E. coli O157:H7 Outbreak at The Porch Restaurant in Oakland, PA
The Allegheny County Health Department is announcing that there are several cases of E. coli O157:H7 illness among employees and customers of The Porch restaurant in Oakland, Pennsylvania. Health care providers are asked to test patients if they present with bloody diarrhea or other symptoms of this infection. Five people have been diagnosed with E. coli O157:H7 infections since October 1, 2013, and four of those people were hospitalized for that illness. All are recovering. Dr. Karen Hacker, Health Director of the Department, said in a statement, "we're urging health care providers to test for E. coli to see if there are any additional cases linked to this outbreak so we can stop further transmission of the disease." E. coli is spread through contaminated food, and it can be spread … [Read more...]
