The BrightFarms salad greens Salmonella outbreak has been updated by the FDA. A new recall, for BrightFarms baby spinach, was issued on July 28, 2021. The last best by date for this product, through 7/26/21 (July 26, 2021), has ended so it should not be available in stores, but some people may still have it in their home refrigerators. The company is not producing or distributing any product from areas associated with environmental samples that tested positive for Salmonella bacteria. All of the salads that have been recalled were produced in the company's Rochelle, Illinois greenhouse farm that is located in Ogle County. After the FDA visited the facility and collected environmental samples, testing revealed that Salmonella Liverpool was present. Whole genome sequencing (WGS) … [Read more...]
FDA Weighs In On BrightFarms Salmonella Outbreak
The FDA is weighing in on the BrightFarms Salmonella Typhimurium outbreak that has sickened at least 11 people in three states. Two people have been hospitalized. The outbreak has grown from the eight patients mentioned in the first investigation outbreak notice on July 14, 2021. The eleven patients live in Michigan (1), Illinois (6) and Wisconsin (4). Illness onset dates range from June 10, 2021 to July 1, 2021. The FDA has visited BrightFarms farm where the salad greens were grown in a greenhouse, and has collected samples. The public will be informed about those sample results when available. And the government is working with the company to see if there are more products that may be involved in this outbreak, or if more "best by" dates have been affected. BrightFarms … [Read more...]
BrightFarms Salads Salmonella Outbreak Sickens 11 in MI WI and IL
The BrightFarms Salads Salmonella outbreak has now sickened at least 11 people in three states, according to a new update by the CDC. A new state, Michigan, has been added to the outbreak total, joining Illinois and Wisconsin. One more person has been hospitalized because they are so sick. The patient case count by state is: Illinois (6), Michigan (1), and Wisconsin (4). That includes one more patient each from Illinois and Wisconsin from the previous CDC update on July 16, 2021, and the new patient in Michigan. Illness onset dates range from June 10 2021 to July 1, 2021. That is an expansion of the previous illness onset date range, which was from June 10 to June 15, 2021. The patient age range is from 19 to 61 years. Two people have been hospitalized because thy are so … [Read more...]
Wisconsin BrightFarms Salad Salmonella Outbreak Sickens Four
The Wisconsin BrightFarms Salad Salmonella outbreak has sickened at least four people, not three, the number according to the CDC case count, in information in a news release that was issued by the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS). Current data indicates that pre-packaged salad greens produced by BrightFarms of Rochelle, Illinois are the source of this outbreak. One person has been hospitalized. Five people are sick in Illinois. Since the investigation announcements by the FDA and CDC only have eight total patients with no hospitalizations, it may be that this new Wisconsin case has been hospitalized. Wisconsin Department of Health Services Communicable Diseases Supervisor Ryan Wozniak said in a statement, "At this time, DHS urges consumers not to purchase, eat, or … [Read more...]
BrightFarms Sunny Crunch Salad Salmonella Outbreak Sickens Eight
The BrightFarms Sunny Crunch Salad Salmonella outbreak has sickened at least eight people in two states, according to an investigation notice posted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). At least five people bought or ate this product before they got sick. The company has issued a recall for eight of their branded packaged salad products. The patient case count by state as of July 14, 2021 is: Wisconsin (3), and Illinois (5). Illness onset dates range from June 10, 2021 to June 15, 2021. The patient age range is from 31 to 61 years. This outbreak may not be limited to these states and is likely much higher than the number reported, according to the CDC. Many people contract Salmonella infections and do not seek medical care, so are not tested. Officials from … [Read more...]
BrightFarms Sunny Crunch Salad Linked to Salmonella Outbreak
One of the new outbreaks on the FDA Outbreak Investigations Table has already elicited an outbreak investigation notice. The consumption of BrightFarms Sunny Crunch Salad is linked to a Salmonella Typhimurium outbreak. No one has been hospitalized in this outbreak and there are no deaths. The case count by state is: Illinois (5) and Wisconsin (3). The last illness onset date was June 15, 2021. This product was distributed in Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa, and Indiana. The BrightFarms Sunny Crunch Salad could have been distributed further, reaching more states. This product was made in the firm's Rochelle, Illinois facility. The outbreak investigation notice states that "Although it is early in the investigation, epidemiological and traceback evidence from sick people indicate that … [Read more...]
Study Finds Cow Manure Contaminates WI Wells and Causes Cryptosporidium
A new federal study released today has found that it's possible that cow manure contaminates wells in a county in Wisconsin and causes Cryptosporidium illnesses. The researchers looked at private wells in Kewaunee County, which is in northeastern Wisconsin on Lake Michigan. The county has a population of about 20,000 people, but there are 100,000 head of cattle in the area. About 12,000 residents get their water from private wells. The study used data from a countrywide pathogen occurrence study that lasted for a year. The scientist put the numbers into a quantitative microbial risk assessment to predict the cases of acute gastrointestinal illness linked to those wells. The results found that private well contamination could cause more than 300 acute gastrointestinal illnesses per … [Read more...]
Wawona Peaches Salmonella Outbreak Number Three of 2020
The Wawona Peaches Salmonella outbreak was the number three multistate outbreak of 2020, with at least 101 sick in 17 states. There were many primary and secondary recalls of bagged and bulk peaches and peach products related to this outbreak. The patient case count by state was: California (1), Connecticut 91), Illinois (1), Iowa (11), Kansas (1), Kentucky (1), Maryland (1), Michigan (18), Minnesota (27), Missouri (2), New Jersey (8), New York (14), Ohio (1), Pennsylvania (4), Vermont (1), Virginia (3), and Wisconsin (6). Illness onset dates ranged from June 29, 2020 to August 27, 2020. The patient age range was from 1 to 92 years. Of 90 patients who gave information about their illness to investigators, 28 were hospitalized, for a hospitalization rate of 31%, which is … [Read more...]
CDC Updates Second Mystery E. coli O157:H7 Outbreak; Romaine?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has updated the second mystery E. coli O157:H7 outbreak that may be associated with leafy greens or romaine lettuce. This outbreak has now sickened at least 39 people in 18 states. There are three unsolved multistate E. coli O157:H7 outbreaks ongoing at this time; all of the investigation notices mention leafy greens, and one mentions an unnamed restaurant. The outbreak investigation notice states that "This outbreak is different from the two other E. coli O157:H7 outbreaks CDC is currently investigating." This is the same strain of E. coli O157:H7 which caused a massive outbreak last year that was linked to romaine lettuce from the Salinas Valley growing region in California. At least 167 people were sickened in that outbreak … [Read more...]
Wood Ear Mushroom Salmonella Outbreak Ends With 55 Sick
The wood ear mushroom Salmonella outbreak has ended with 55 sick in 12 states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Six people were hospitalized because they were so sick. The mushrooms, imported by Wismettac Asian Foods, were recalled in October 2020. The patient case count has increased by 12 since the last outbreak update almost a month ago. And two states, Oregon and Washington, were added to the outbreak state count. The patient case count by state is: Arizona (1), California (33), Connecticut (1), Georgia (1), Illinois (5), Louisiana (1), New Jersey (2), New York (1), Oregon (1), Pennsylvania (2), Washington (5) and Wisconsin (2). The patient age range is from 2 to 74 years. Illness onset dates range from January 21, 2020 to September 19, 2020. … [Read more...]
