The Moby Dick House of Kabob Salmonella outbreak has now sickened 23 people, Maureen Regan, Deputy Director, Integrated Media Office of Communications at the Maryland Department of Health told Food Poisoning Bulletin. The latest update on the Salmonella outbreak investigation was posted on September 26, 2019. Those 23 cases are confirmed. All are associated with eating foods purchased at a Moby Dick House of Kabob restaurant. These cases are associated with several different locations of the restaurant chain. The Maryland Department of Public Health has not excluded the hummus served at that restaurant as the source of the outbreak, despite claims of this in the media. Public health officials thoroughly inspected the restaurant and reviewed food practices. Corrective actions … [Read more...]
Moby Dick House of Kabob Salmonella Outbreak Increases to 23 Sick
Salmonella Outbreak at Al Basha Restaurant in Seattle, WA
A Salmonella outbreak at Al Basha Restaurant in Seattle, Washington has sickened at least three people. One person has been hospitalized. That restaurant is located at 2302 1st Avenue in Seattle. The dates that the ill persons ate there are September 15, 22, and 23, 2019. A specific food or drink that may have caused these illnesses have not been identified. No employees of the restaurant have symptoms consistent with salmonellosis. The three ill persons submitted isolates for testing; all tested positive for Salmonella Enteritidis with the same genetic fingerprint. That means they have a common source of infection. Public Health investigators visited the restaurant on October 10, 2019. The inspection did identify several potential risk factors that included inadequate hand … [Read more...]
Final Report on Salmonella Outbreak Associated With Elko NV Restaurant
The Nevada Department of Health and Human Services has issued a final report on the Salmonella outbreak associated with "Restaurant A" in Elko, Nevada. The outbreak is associated with eggs served less than well done at that restaurant. Based on the details of this report and previous investigations, we believe Restaurant A is the Grille at Gold Dust West restaurant in Elko. Eggs were suspected in that outbreak, and according to news reports, 17 people were sickened. The outbreak was first picked up by officials when between Friday, March 8, 2019 and Monday, March 11, 2019 there were 12 positive Salmonella lab reports from "Hospital A" in Elko. Five patients were interviewed on March 11 and they revealed that all five cases had dined at Restauwrnta A and ate "sunny side up" … [Read more...]
Salmonella and Hepatitis A Outbreak at Crow Wing County Jail in MN
A Salmonella and Hepatitis A outbreak at the Crow Wing County Jail in Minnesota has been announced by the Crow Wing County Sheriff's Office. The number of those sickened has not yet been released. We also do not know the ages of patients or whether or not anyone has been hospitalized. The Crow Wing County Sheriff's Office Jail Division was notified on September 26, 2019 that one inmate tested positive for hepatitis A. This virus is very contagious, and can be spread person-to-person, through contact with surfaces, and through contaminated food and drink. Officials do not know the source for the virus. Jail medical services staff, Crow Wing County Pubic Health, and Guide Point Pharmacy of Brainerd, Minnesota have been vaccinating inmates and employees who may have been exposed to … [Read more...]
Salmonella Outbreak At Moby Dick House of Kabob in Maryland
A Salmonella outbreak at Moby Dick House of Kabob restaurant, which has locations in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington D.C. has sickened at least nine people in Maryland. Those cases have been confirmed since September 10, 2019. The press release from the Maryland Department of Health states that "The exact cause of the infections has not been determined and the investigation is ongoing, but eight of nine cases reported consuming Moby Dick House of Kabob hummus." There is no information on the patient age range, or if anyone has been hospitalized. The press release also did not state the serotype of the Salmonella that made people sick. Moby Dick House of Kabob has voluntarily suspended sales of hummus. Public health officials are recommending that consumers discard any hummus … [Read more...]
Whole Genome Sequencing Solves Cake Mix Salmonella Outbreak
For the first time, whole genome sequencing solved a Salmonella outbreak associated with cake mix, according to a study published in the Center For Disease Control and Prevention's Weekly Morbidity and Mortality Report. This cake mix Salmonella outbreak was associated with Duncan Hines products. This outbreak was unusual because the Centers for Disease Control stated, "There was not enough epidemiologic and traceback information available to determine if ill people in this outbreak were linked to contaminated cake mix produced by Duncan Hines," even though a Salmonella Agbeni isolate was found in an unopened box of Duncan Hines white cake mix. The outbreak was first identified when two patients living in Oregon were diagnosed with Salmonella infections in August 2018. Both … [Read more...]
Salmonella Outbreak at Perryville Correctional Facility in Arizona Sickens 5
A Salmonella outbreak at the Perryville Correctional Facility in Goodyear, Arizona has sickened five people, Chris Minnick, Communications Director of the Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) told Food Poisoning Bulletin. The outbreak began on August 14, 2019. This facility houses women inmates. Officials took and tested 69 environmental samples. All were negative for the pathogen. We do not know if anyone has been hospitalized in this outbreak. And we do not know the patient age range. The origination for these infections is under investigation by the Arizona Department of Health Services, and no more information or additional details about the cases are being released. The Arizona Department of Corrections is working with ADHS to investigate this outbreak. Outbreaks … [Read more...]
Salmonella Outbreak at University of Maryland Sickens Three
A Salmonella outbreak at the University of Maryland has sickened at least three people, according to Dr. David McBride, Director of the University of Maryland Health Center. Two of the cases have been confirmed at outside medical facilities, and one was confirmed at the University. The students have recovered "without incident" according to a press release. Two of the three patients ate at "a variety of campus dining facilities." The other did not eat on campus. The Prince George County Health Department and the Maryland Department of Health are investigating these illnesses. The press release also states "while there is no indication at this time that the source of this infection came from campus, we will keep the campus community informed once we learn from the state and county … [Read more...]
CDC Weighs In on Cavi Papaya Salmonella Uganda Outbreak
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has weighed in on the Cavi papaya Salmonella Uganda outbreak, declaring the outbreak over as of September 12, 2019, with 81 people sick in 9 states. That's an increase of 10 more illnesses and one more affected state since the last update. Twenty-seven people were hospitalized because they were so ill. No deaths were reported. The case count by state is: Connecticut (15), Delaware (1), Florida (2), Massachusetts (6), New Jersey (22), New York (29), Pennsylvania (4), Rhode Island (1), and Texas (1). Illness onset dates range from January 14, 2019 to July 16, 2019. Most of the illnesses occurred since April, 2019. The patient age range is from less than one year to 90 years. Of 48 people who identified their ethnicity, 31, or 65%, … [Read more...]
Salmonella Uganda Outbreak Potentially Linked to Cavi Papayas Ends with 81 Sick
The Salmonella Uganda outbreak potentially linked to Cavi papayas imported from Mexico by Agroson's LLC has ended with 81 sick in 9 states, according to the CDC; the FDA's investigational activities are still ongoing. Twenty-seven people were hospitalized because they were so sick. That's an increase of 10 more illnesses and one more state since the last update in July 2019. No deaths have been reported. The patient case count by state is: Connecticut (15), Delaware (1), Florida (2), Massachusetts (6), New Jersey (22), New York (29), Pennsylvania (4), Rhode Island (1), and Texas (1). The last illness onset date was July 16, 2019. The papayas potentially linked to this outbreak are no longer available for purchase, so the FDA says that consumers no longer need to avoid or withhold … [Read more...]
