A Malichita cantaloupe Salmonella Sundsvall outbreak has sickened at least 43 people in 15 states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Seventeen people have been hospitalized because they are so sick, for a hospitalization rate of 39%, which is high for this type of outbreak. The cantaloupes in question are the Malichita brand that have been recalled. The case count by state is: Arizona (7), California (1), Georgia (2), Illinois (4), Kentucky (3), Maryland (1), Minnesota (5), Missouri (5), Nebraska (4), Ohio (1), Oklahoma (1), Texas (3), Virginia (1), Washington (1), and Wisconsin (4). The patient age range is from 1 to 100 years. Illness onset dates range from October 17, 2023 to November 6, 2023. The true number of sick people in this outbreak is … [Read more...]
Houston Cyclospora Outbreak Linked to Fort Bend/Harris County
A Houston cyclospora outbreak is linked to a few gatherings in the Fort Bend/Harris county area, according to health officials. No case count numbers or illness onset dates were provided in this update. Dr. Ericka Brown, Deputy Local Health Authority for Harris County Public Health said that cyclospora infections are typically transmitted via raw fruits and vegetables. This infection cannot be passed person-to-person, because the oocyst must mature in the environment after it is expelled in feces. She said, "Cyclospora is actually a normal seasonal bug that we see ... around April of May and last through about August." Until 2016, most cyclospora cases were associated with travel to tropical areas, where this parasites is endemic. Officials are investigating to see whether … [Read more...]
CDC Reports on Domestically Acquired Cyclospora Cases
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is reporting an update on the domestically acquired cyclospora outbreak with illness onset on or after April 2023. In the past few years there have been large cyclospora outbreaks in the United States during the summer months. People usually get sick by eating contaminated fresh produce. Outbreak Numbers "Domestically acquired" is an important distinction, since it used to be that people contracted this parasite when they traveled outside the United States to tropical regions, and ate contaminated produce. That is no longer the case, as of 2019. Last year there were at least 1,129 cases of cyclosporiasis in the U.S. There are at least 97 people sick in 16 states. Sixteen people have been hospitalized. The case count by state … [Read more...]
Shigellosis Outbreak in Lavaca County, Texas Announced
A shigellosis outbreak in Lavaca County, Texas has been announced by the Texas Department of State Health Services. Officials are investigating this outbreak. No source of the pathogen has been declared and there is no mention of how many people are sick or if anyone has been hospitalized. There is also no patient age range mentioned. Officials are interviewing patients and are collecting food samples from a location where "multiple individuals" ate before they got sick. The last Shigella outbreak in the United States was linked to Tamarind Tree in Seattle, Washington earlier this year. At least 32 people were sickened in that outbreak. This bacteria causes about a half million illnesses in the United States every year. This infection is highly contagious and is spread through … [Read more...]
FDA Warning Letter to Smuckers Over Jif Peanut Butter Outbreak
An FDA warning letter sent to the Smuckers corporation about the Jif peanut butter Salmonella Senftenberg outbreak details serious violations of the law, including Current Good Manufacturing Practice, Hazard Analysis, and Risk-Based Preventive Controls for Human Food. Jif peanut butter was linked to an outbreak in the first part of 2022 that sickened at least 21 people in 17 states. Four people were hospitalized. All peanut butter manufactured at the J.M. Smucker facility in Lexington, Kentucky from October 1, 2021 to May 20, 2022 was recalled after the outbreak was announced. The warning letter states, "the evidence establishes that you introduced adulterated peanut butter into interstate commerce as prohibited by section 301(a) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (the … [Read more...]
Number 2 Outbreak of 2022: Mariscos Bahia Seafood Salmonella
The number two outbreak of 2022 was the Mariscos Bahia seafood Salmonella outbreak that sickened at least 39 people in four states. That seafood was recalled on October 20, 2022, and included fresh salmon fillet, fresh deep skin salmon fillet, fresh salmon portions, Chilean seabass (fillet and portions), halibut (fillet and portions), tuna (fillet and portions), and swordfish (loin, fillet, and wheel). The case count by state was: Arizona (13), California (24), Illinois (1), and Texas (1). The patient age range was from 1 year to 80 years. Of 32 people who gave information about their illness to public health investigators, 15 were hospitalized. That's a hospitalization rate of 47%, more than twice the average for a Salmonella outbreak. Of those 18 patients, 13 of them said they … [Read more...]
Jif Peanut Butter Salmonella Outbreak Is Number Five of 2022
The Jif peanut butter Salmonella Senftenberg outbreak is the number five outbreak of 2022, with at least 21 people sick in 17 states. Four people were hospitalized because they were so ill. Several types of Jif peanut butter were recalled after the outbreak was first announced on May 21, 2022. The outbreak ended on July 27, 2022, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The case count by state is: Arizona (1), Arkansas (1), Florida (1), Georgia (2), Illinois (1), Indiana (1), Massachusetts (1), Michigan (1), Missouri (2), New York (1), North Carolina (2), Ohio (1), South Carolina (1), Texas (2), Virginia (1), Washington (1), and West Virginia (1). Patients ranged in age from less than one year to 85. The hospitalization rate was 31%, with four out of 13 … [Read more...]
Old Europe Cheese Listeria Outbreak Is Number Nine of 2022
The number nine food poisoning outbreak of 2022 is the Old Europe Cheese Listeria monocytogenes outbreak that sickened at least six people in six states. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says that epidemiologic, traceback, and laboratory data showed that cheeses made by that company made people sick. This outbreak was declared over on December 9, 2022. The case count by state is: California (1), Georgia (1), Massachusetts (1), Michigan (1), New Jersey (1), and Texas (1). The patient age range is from 56 to 83 years, with a median age of 78. Five people were hospitalized because they were so sick. In interviews, patients were asked about the foods they ate the month before they got sick. Eighty percent said they ate brie or camembert cheese. Most did not … [Read more...]
CDC Weighs In On Texas Oysters Norovirus Outbreak
The CDC has weighed in on the Texas oysters norovirus outbreak that has sickened more than 200 people. The oysters were harvested between 11/17/2022 and 12/7/2022 from harvest area TX 1 in Galveston Bay. Patients in this outbreak, 211 of them, live in Florida and Texas and six other states. The oysters were shipped to these states: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas. The oysters may have been distributed in other states. There have been 211 illnesses reported as of December 15, 2022. The case count by state has not been released, nor has the illness onset date range or the patient age range. Restaurants and food retailers should not serve raw oysters from that area. The raw oysters were potentially contaminated with norovirus. … [Read more...]
HEB Texas Pets Dry Cat Food Recalled For Possible Salmonella
HEB Texas Pets Indoor Complete Dry Cat Food is being recalled for possible Salmonella contamination. No illnesses, human or animal, have been reported to the company to date in connection with the consumption of this product. The recalling firm is TFP Nutrition. The pet food was manufactured at the company's plant on November 13, 2022 at its Nacogdoches, Texas facility. The product was distributed only in the state of Texas and sold in HEB retail stores. All of this product has been removed from store shelves. No other HEB products are affected by this voluntary recall. The recalled product is HEB Texas Pets Indoor Complete Dry Cat Food that is sold in 16 pound bags. The production code on the product is MFG 13 NOV 22. That number is on the second line of the lot code that is … [Read more...]
