There are now ten sick in the frozen strawberries Hepatitis A outbreak, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). That is an increase of one more patient, who lives in Hawaii, which is a new state added to the outbreak case count. The case count by state is: Washington (6), California (2), Hawaii (1), and Oregon (1). Illness onset dates range from November 24, 2022 to June 4, 2023. The patient age range is from 38 to 64. Four people have been hospitalized because they are so sick. Epidemiological and traceback evidence indicates that frozen organic strawberries that were imported fresh from "certain farms" in Baja, California in Mexico in 2022 are the source of this outbreak. And the hepatitis A virus strain that is making people sick is genetically … [Read more...]
Papa Murphy’s Cookie Dough Salmonella Outbreak Ends
The Papa Murphy's Cookie Dough Salmonella outbreak has ended with at least 26 people sick in six states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Four people were hospitalized. Even though this outbreak is over, the government is warning consumers that eating raw cookie dough made with unpasteurized eggs and raw flour is a hazard and can make you sick. The case count by state is: California (2), Idaho (5), Missouri (1), Oregon (8), Utah (4), and Washington (6). That is an increase of eight more patients since the last update on May 23, 2023. The newly diagnosed ill persons live in California, Idaho, Oregon, and Utah. The patient age range is from 14 to 81 years. Illness onset dates ranged from February 24, 2023 to May 28, 2023. State and local health … [Read more...]
Salmonella Berta Outbreak Sickens Six in King County, WA
A Salmonella Berta outbreak in King County, Washington has sickened six children, adolescents, and adults in that area, according to the King County Health Department. Two of the patients have been hospitalized. All six cases are linked through whole genome sequencing, which identifies the DNA of the pathogen. This indicates that they likely got sick from a common food or other source of infection. Illness onset dates range from April 14 to June 12, 2023. Most of the people who were interviewed reported eating pork, including various cuts cooked at home, and different types of seafood such as fish and crab. But no source of the pathogen has been identified. The six children, adolescents, and adults live in six different households. The patient age range is from 2 to 65 years … [Read more...]
FDA Updates Strawberry Hepatitis A Outbreak With New Recall
The FDA updates strawberry Hepatitis A outbreak information with the new recall for Wawona Frozen Foods Organic Daybreak Blend mix sold at Costco stores. The recall is for that product sold in these states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Utah, and Washington. The case count remains the same: California (2), Oregon (1), and Washington (6). Illness onset dates range from November 24, 2022 to April 12, 2023, and the patient age range is from 38 to 64. Three people have been hospitalized. The Organic Daybreak Blend is packaged in 4 pound bags and has best by dates of 9/23/2023, 9/29/2023, 9/30/2023, and 10/18/2023 with corresponding lot numbers. Other recalled products include brands California Splendor that supplied Costco stores, Scenic Fruit that supplied Costco, Aldi, KeHE, Vital … [Read more...]
Hepatitis A Cases at Two Snohomish County Taco Bell Locations
A hepatitis A case has been diagnosed in one employee who worked at two Snohomish County Taco Bell locations in Washington state, according to the Snohomish County Health Department. Anyone who ate food from the Taco Bell at 2727 Broadway on May 22 or May 23, 2023, or at the Taco Bell at 303 91st Avenue NE in Lake Stevens on May 23, 2023 may have been exposed and should contact their healthcare provider or public health. One food worker who teated positive for the virus worked at both locations while infectious. You should check to see if you are vaccinated against or immune to hepatitis A. If you have been vaccinated or if you had the virus in the past you do not need to take further action. If you are not vaccinated, talk to your doctor about getting a hepatitis A vaccination. … [Read more...]
FDA Weighs In On Papa Murphy’s Cookie Dough Outbreak
The FDA weighs in on the Papa Murphy's Cookie Dough Salmonella outbreak that has sickened at least 18 people in six states. The cookie dough is Chocolate Chip Cookie and S'Mores Bars. They were sold at Papa Murphy's franchises. Twelve of 14 patients told Centers for Disease Control and Prevention investigators that they ate the raw dough before they got sick. Papa Murphy's has notified franchise owners about this issue nationwide and has stopped selling the product. They destroyed all of the doughs at all stores. The investigation is ongoing to determine the source of the contamination and whether more products are linked to illnesses. The case count by state is: California (1), Idaho (4), Missouri (1), Oregon (4), Utah (2) and Washington (6). Illness onset dates range from … [Read more...]
Papa Murphy’s Cookie Dough Salmonella Outbreak Sickens 18
A Papa Murphy's Cookie Dough Salmonella outbreak has sickened at least 18 people in six states and and has hospitalized two, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Two types of Papa Murphy's raw cookie dough are involved in this outbreak: Chocolate chip cookie dough and S'mores bar dough. Papa Murphy's has temporarily stopped selling those two types of cookie dough. The case count by state is: California (1), Idaho (4), Missouri (1), Oregon (4), Utah (2) and Washington (6). Illness onset dates range from February 27, 2023 to May 2, 2023. The patient age range is from 14 to 68. Of 14 people who gave information to investigators, two have been hospitalized, for a hospitalization rate of 14%. Public health officials interviewed people about the foods they … [Read more...]
2021 Chipotle and Panera Romaine E. coli Outbreak
In 2021, health departments in Washington and Minnesota did something that doesn't happen very often. They solved an E. coli outbreak linked to leafy greens. "It is rare to be able to identify the outbreak vehicle for commercially distributed food like romaine lettuce (much less link back to a farm source) with only four laboratory-confirmed cases who consumed the romaine lettuce at four different restaurant locations in two states," Doug Schultz, an information officer at the Minnesota Department of Health told Food Poisoning Bulletin. The outbreak was never announced because, by the time investigators identified the specific grower, there was no ongoing risk to the public, he said. Stream of Unsolved Outbreaks Leafy greens recently overtook ground beef to become the leading … [Read more...]
Nine Sick in Organic Strawberries Hepatitis A Outbreak
There are now nine people sick in the organic strawberries hepatitis A outbreak, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Three people have been hospitalized because they are so ill. That is an increase of one more patient since the last update that was issued on April 26, 2023. The case count by state is: California (2), Oregon (1), and Washington (6). The new patient lives in Oregon, and Oregon has been added to the list. And the new patient has been hospitalized. Illness onset dates range from November 24, 2022 to April 12, 2023. The patient age range is from 38 to 64. The hospitalization rate is 33%. The outbreak is linked to frozen organic strawberries that were imported from farms in Baja California, in Mexico. The strain of hepatitis A that is … [Read more...]
Frozen Strawberries Hepatitis A Case Count Increases to 8
The frozen strawberries hepatitis A outbreak case count has increased to 8 patients, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This is an increase of one more patient since the last update on April 11, 2023. Several recalls of the strawberries have been issued, including the brands Kirkland Signature, Made With, PCC Community Markets, Trader Joe's, Meijer, Vital Choice, and Simply Nature. The berries were imported from Baja, California in Mexico. The case count by state is: California (2), and Washington (6). The new patient lives in Washington. Two people have been hospitalized because they are so sick. Illness onset dates range from November 24, 2022 to April 12, 2023. The outbreak strain is the same one that was linked to strawberries imported from Mexico … [Read more...]
