Tag Archives: food safety

Connecticut Coast Guard academy medical staff bring bacterial outbreak under control

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With hundreds of new Coast Guard Academy cadets, or swabs (how perfect is that – dp), starting their military training, staff at the medical clinic on campus have had their hands full during the summer months.

Julia Bergman of Military writes that the outbreak was magnified two weeks ago, when a bacterial infection began spreading among swabs.

What started as a few swabs reporting similar symptoms — fever, nausea, vomiting — ultimately grew to about 40 people — both swabs and second-class cadets overseeing their training, who were suspected of having the same infection. Swabs are separated by companies and it became clear that the symptoms were being reporting primarily by swabs assigned to two of the companies.

“When you start putting together your epidemiological hat, really quickly you’re like, ‘Oh, we need to contain this,'” said Capt. Esan O. Simon, medical director at the clinic, who’s only been on the job about two months.

Clinic staff contacted the microbiology team at Lawrence + Memorial Hospital in New London, who were able to quickly analyze the labs and determine that it was a bacterial infection.

At the clinic, which employs about 60 people, it was an all-hands-on-deck effort with staff working around the clock to manage the situation. Within a three-hour period, they screened more than 400 people, including cadets and officer candidates.

Infections can spread quickly on college campuses. Swabs live and train alongside one another. Add to that the stress of their seven-week summer training.

Initially the sick swabs were told to stay in the barracks and wear face masks, and they were instructed on how to clean bacteria from their rooms.

When the number of cases started creeping up, clinic staff separated the sickest of the swabs from their peers and placed them in a separate wing in the barracks to prevent the infection from spreading.

“You didn’t want the folks in the same food line as the whole entire campus and that kind of thing,” Simon said.

A system was devised to deliver meals and administer medication to the isolated swabs, to minimize their exposure to the rest of the campus.

Staff were able to quickly contain the situation, which could have been a lot worse, said Cmdr. Dave Milne, a spokesman for the academy. Only a few cadets are still sick.

Celebrity chef to advise UK government on hospital food following Listeria deaths

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Health chiefs are to set national standards for hospital food after the deaths of six people in a listeria outbreak.

Great British Bake Off judge Prue Leith (right) will advise the Government review into bedside meals, amid growing criticism of patients’ food.

The “root-and-branch” probe, launched by the Department of Health today, will examine whether the number of hospitals doing catering in-house can be increased.

Prue said: “Millions of pounds are wasted in hospitals with food ending up in the bin – unpalatable food being the main complaint.

A hospital meal should be a pleasure and comfort, and it should help, not hinder, the patient’s recovery.”

Health Secretary Matt Hancock called for the review in June when the six people died after getting listeria from prepackaged sandwiches and salads.

Hopefully there will be some Listeria scientists on the advisory panel.

Norwegian Authority warns pregnant women to avoid ginger supplements

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The Norwegian Food Safety Authority warns pregnant women and women planning to become pregnant to avoid ginger supplements and ginger-containing shots.

Will Chu of Nutra reports the warning comes after the Danish Technical University (DTU) and the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration carried out a new risk assessment that found a higher abortion risk in animal studies.

In the report, the DTU said the results did not exclude the possibility that large ginger quantities could also increase this risk in humans.

“The DTU Food Institute concludes that in many cases ginger root ingestion from a single ginger shot will be larger (up to 20-23 grams (g) per day) than the fresh or dried amount typically eaten in the diet. ​

“Experiments in rats indicate that ginger can affect the normal foetal development,”​ says the report​​, dated 21 December 2018.

 “The studies conducted so far in humans did not investigate whether ginger can have a harmful effect early in pregnancy. Animal studies suggest that it may be a particularly sensitive period. ​

“There is a small safety margin between the daily dose linked to harmful effects during pregnancy in rats and the amount of ginger that can be consumed with one ginger shot,”​ the report continues.

Along with the Norwegian Food Safety Authority, the Norwegian Institute of Public Health assessed the Danish report, supporting its conclusions and issuing the warning against taking ginger shots and supplements with ginger.

Foodborne pathogen sheltered by harmless bacteria that support biofilm formation

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Pathogenic bacteria that stubbornly lurk in some apple-packing facilities may be sheltered and protected by harmless bacteria that are known for their ability to form biofilms, according to Penn State researchers, who suggest the discovery could lead to development of alternative foodborne-pathogen-control strategies. 

That was the key finding that emerged from a study of three tree-fruit-packing facilities in the Northeast where contamination with Listeria monocytogenes was a concern. The research, done in collaboration with the apple industry, was an effort to better understand the microbial ecology of food-processing facilities. The ultimate goal is to identify ways to improve pathogen control in the apple supply chain to avoid foodborne disease outbreaks and recalls of apples and apple products.

“This work is part of Penn State’s efforts to help producers comply with standards set forth in the federal Food Safety Modernization Act, often referred to as FSMA,” said researcher Jasna Kovac, assistant professor of food science, College of Agricultural Sciences. “The Department of Food Science at Penn State, through research and extension activities, has an ongoing collaboration with the apple industry, led by Luke LaBorde, professor of food science.”

The research was done in collaboration with the apple industry, in an effort to better understand the microbial ecology of food-processing facilities. The ultimate goal is to identify ways to improve pathogen control in the apple supply chain to avoid foodborne disease outbreaks and recalls of apples and apple products. 

In the study, researchers sought to understand the composition of microbiota in apple-packing environments and its association with the occurrence of the foodborne pathogen Listeria monocytogenes. Their testing revealed that a packing plant with a significantly higher Listeria monocytogenes occurrence was uniquely dominated by the bacterial family Pseudomonadaceae and the fungal family Dipodascaceae.

“As we investigated the properties of these microorganisms, we learned that they are known to be very good biofilm formers,” said lead researcher Xiaoqing Tan (upper left), a recently graduated master’s degree student in food science and a member of the Penn State Microbiome Center, housed in the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences. “Based on our findings, we hypothesize that these harmless microorganisms are supporting the persistence of Listeria monocytogenes because they protect the harmful bacteria by enclosing them in biofilms. We are testing this hypothesis in a follow-up study.”

The findings of the research, published today (Aug. 21) in Microbiome, provide insight into the Listeria contamination problem and may lead to researchers and the apple industry getting closer to solving it, Kovac believes. Equipment in fruit-processing plants — such as brush conveyors — have a poor sanitary design that makes them difficult to clean and sanitize, she pointed out. She and LaBorde plan to work with the apple industry to devise more effective cleaning and sanitizing strategies.

Camera 360

Researchers collected samples in apple-packing facilities in which Listeria monocytogenes has been persistent. They discovered that harmless bacteria may be sheltering the pathogens.

 “Following up on these findings, we are experimenting with some of the nonpathogenic strains of bacteria that are not harmful to humans to see whether they can be used as biocontrols,” she said. “Once applied on the surfaces of the equipment in these environments, they may be able to outcompete and suppress Listeria, thus reducing food-safety risks and potential regulatory action. We are still exploring that approach in a controlled laboratory environment. If it proves to be feasible, we would like to test it in apple-packing and processing facilities.”

The challenge presented by microbiota possibly sheltering Listeria monocytogenes is not limited to fruit-processing facilities or produce, Penn State researchers suspect. They will soon begin analyzing microbial communities in dairy-processing facilities to determine the microbial composition and ecology of these environments.

Adaptation to life inside cattle may be driving E. coli to develop harmful features

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A large-scale study of the genetic differences and similarities among E. coli bacteria from cattle and humans indicates that features causing food poisoning in humans may continuously be emerging in bacteria from cattle as a means to better adapt to their environment.

While E. coli bacteria are one of the most well-known causes of food poisoning, a wide variety of E. coli strains exists, many of which are harmless, permanent residents of our intestines. However, the ingestion of harmful strains of E. coli on contaminated food can lead to severe illness, vomiting, and diarrhea.

“To develop the most effective preventive measures, we need a deep understanding of the source and living conditions of the bacteria,” says Yoshitoshi Ogura, associate professor at Kyushu University’s Department of Bacteriology, who led the research.

“Although cattle have long been thought to be a main source of E. coli that cause food poisoning, why dangerous forms would keep appearing in cattle has been unclear.”

Ogura’s group, in collaboration with researchers across Japan and in France, Belgium, and the United States, set out to help answer this question by investigating the genetics of E. coli bacteria collected from cattle and humans in 21 countries spanning six continents.

“To date, there have been only a limited number of reports of the genome sequences of E. coli from cattle, so we needed to fill that gap,” comments Yoko Arimizu, first author on the paper in Genome Research announcing the new results.

While the largest number of samples was from Japan, strains from other regions exhibited characteristics that were well distributed among those from Japan, indicating a good diversity of the set of samples.

Based on the genetic features of the bacteria, the researchers could generally separate the different strains of E. coli into two groups, with one primarily consisting of bacteria collected from humans and the other of those from cattle.

Applying the same analysis to clinically obtained E. coli that are known to cause illness, the researchers found that most of the strains causing intestinal problems belonged to the group associated with cattle.

Furthermore, many of the samples from cattle exhibited features similar to those causing food poisoning, such as the production of Shiga toxin. While these features generally appear not to cause illness in cattle, their prevalence in the investigated samples suggests that such characteristics are beneficial for life in a cattle’s intestine.

“As long as there is pressure to maintain or strengthen these illness-producing characteristics to better adapt to living in a cattle’s intestine, new variants of E. coli that cause food poisoning are likely to continue appearing,” states Ogura.

The researchers speculate that these characteristics may help E. coli protect itself from bacteria-eating organisms present in cattle intestines, but more work is needed to identify the exact reason.

How dangerous E. coli find the best place to infect

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Scientists at the University of Virginia School of Medicine have learned how a foodborne illness takes hold.

They were looking into E.coli and how it seeks out the most oxygen-free parts of the human colon to cause the worst possible infection in the body.

According to a release, this new discovery shows how the pathogen knows where and when to begin colonizing the colon on the way to making a person sick.

E.coli reportedly can recognize the low-oxygen environment of the large intestine, which is where it can give itself the best odds of establishing a robust infection.

“Bacterial pathogens typically colonize a specific tissue in the host. Therefore, as part of their infection strategies, bacterial pathogens precisely time deployment of proteins and toxins to these specific colonization niches in the human host,” said researcher Melissa Kendall, PhD, of the UVA Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Cancer Biology. “This allows the pathogens to save energy and avoid detection by our immune systems and ultimately cause disease. By knowing how bacterial pathogens sense where they are in the body, we may one day be able to prevent E. coli, as well as other pathogens, from knowing where it is inside a human host and allow it to pass through the body without causing an infection.”

Humans naturally have E.coli in the colon, and most strains do not cause harm.

However, there are several strains that can cause cramps, diarrhea, vomiting, kidney failure and even death, especially in children.

Oxygen diffuses from the intestinal tissues into the gut, and the small intestine contains comparably higher levels than the large E.coli.

The pathogen waits until it has reached the lower oxygen large intestine before trying to establish an infection.

E.coli has a vital asset in the form of RNA, which activates particular genes when oxygen levels get low enough.

That is when the infection can become established, at which time, the bacteria begin to manufacture Shiga toxins, which are harmful to people.

It is believed other bacterial pathogens, like Shigella and Salmonella, may use a similar control mechanism, but more research is needed to establish that.

The findings concerning E.coli have been published in the scientific journal PNAS.

E. coli O157: Which typing is better?

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Due to the potential of enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) serogroup O157 to cause large food borne outbreaks, national and international surveillance is necessary.

For developing an effective method of molecular surveillance, a conventional method, multilocus variable-number tandem-repeat analysis (MLVA), and whole-genome sequencing (WGS) analysis were compared. WGS of 369 isolates of EHEC O157 belonging to 7 major MLVA types and their relatives were subjected to comprehensive in silico typing, core genome single nucleotide polymorphism (cgSNP), and core genome multilocus sequence typing (cgMLST) analyses. The typing resolution was the highest in cgSNP analysis. However, determination of the sequence of the mismatch repair protein gene mutS is necessary because spontaneous deletion of the gene could lead to a hypermutator phenotype. MLVA had sufficient typing resolution for a short-term outbreak investigation and had advantages in rapidity and high throughput. cgMLST showed less typing resolution than cgSNP, but it is less time-consuming and does not require as much computer power. Therefore, cgMLST is suitable for comparisons using large data sets (e.g., international comparison using public databases). In conclusion, screening using MLVA followed by cgMLST and cgSNP analyses would provide the highest typing resolution and improve the accuracy and cost-effectiveness of EHEC O157 surveillance.

IMPORTANCE Intensive surveillance for enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) serogroup O157 is important to detect outbreaks and to prevent the spread of the bacterium. Recent advances in sequencing technology made molecular surveillance using whole-genome sequence (WGS) realistic. To develop rapid, high-throughput, and cost-effective typing methods for real-time surveillance, typing resolution of WGS and a conventional typing method, multilocus variable-number tandem-repeat analysis (MLVA), was evaluated. Nation-level systematic comparison of MLVA, core genome single nucleotide polymorphism (cgSNP), and core genome multilocus sequence typing (cgMLST) indicated that a combination of WGS and MLVA is a realistic approach to improve EHEC O157 surveillance.

Effective surveillance using multilocus variable-number tandem-repeat analysis and whole-genome sequencing for enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157

Applied and Environmental Microbiology

Kenichi Lee, Hidemasa Izumiya, Sunao Iyoda, Makoto Ohnishi and EHEC Working Group

DOI: 10.1128/AEM.00728-19

https://aem.asm.org/content/85/17/e00728-19.abstract?etoc

Good year for Cyclospora bad year for humans: 205 sick linked to Mexican basil in latest outbreak

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The U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC), public health and regulatory officials in several states, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are investigating a multistate outbreak of Cyclospora infections linked to fresh basil from Siga Logistics de RL de CV of Morelos, Mexico.

CDC is advising that consumers do not eat or serve any fresh basil from Siga Logistics de RL de CV of Morelos, Mexico. This investigation is ongoing and the advice will be updated when more information is available.

Consumers who have fresh basil from Siga Logistics de RL de CV of Morelos, Mexico, in their homes should not eat it. Throw the basil away, even if some has been eaten and no one has gotten sick.

Do not eat salads or other dishes that include fresh basil from Siga Logistics de RL de CV of Morelos, Mexico. This includes dishes garnished or prepared with fresh basil from Siga Logistics de RL de CV of Morelos, Mexico, such as salads or fresh pesto.

If you aren’t sure the fresh basil you bought is from Siga Logistics de RL de CV of Morelos, Mexico, you can ask the place of purchase. When in doubt, don’t eat the fresh basil. Throw it out.

Wash and sanitize places where fresh basil was stored: countertops and refrigerator drawers or shelves.

The FDA strongly advises importers, suppliers, and distributors, as well as restaurants, retailers, and other food service providers to not sell, serve or distribute fresh basil imported from Siga Logistics de RL de CV located in Morelos, Mexico. If you are uncertain of the source, do not sell, serve or distribute the fresh imported basil.

Two hundred and five people with laboratory-confirmed Cyclosporainfections and who reported eating fresh basil have been reported from 11 states; exposures occurred at restaurants in 5 states (Florida, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, and Wisconsin).

Illnesses started on dates ranging from June 10, 2019 to July 18, 2019.

Five people have been hospitalized. No deaths attributed to Cyclospora have been reported in this outbreak.

Epidemiologic evidence and early product distribution information indicate that fresh basil from Siga Logistics de RL de CV of Morelos, Mexico is a likely source of this outbreak.

2019 Outbreak of Cyclospora infections linked to fresh basil from Mexico

15.aug.19

CDC

https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/cyclosporiasis/outbreaks/2019/weekly/index.html

Outbreak investigation of Cyclospora illness linked to imported fresh basil, July 2019

16.aug.19

FDA

https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/outbreak-investigation-cyclospora-illnesses-linked-imported-fresh-basil-july-2019

Canada: Raw frozen chicken thingies outbreaks

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We’ve done extensive work on this topic dating back to 2006 (search barfblog.com), but new tools, like whole genome sequencing, mean additional outbreaks have been identified. A summary paper of recent outbreaks has just been published. Abstract below:

Frozen raw breaded chicken products (FRBCP) have been identified as a risk factor for Salmonella infection in Canada. In 2017, Canada implemented whole genome sequencing (WGS) for clinical and non-clinical Salmonella isolates, which increased understanding of the relatedness of Salmonella isolates, resulting in an increased number of Salmonella outbreak investigations. A total of 18 outbreaks and 584 laboratory-confirmed cases have been associated with FRBCP or chicken since 2017. The introduction of WGS provided the evidence needed to support a new requirement to control the risk of Salmonella in FRBCP produced for retail sale.

Outbreak of salmonella illness associated with frozen raw breaded chicken products in Canada 2015-2019

22 August 2019

Epidemiology and Infection vol. 147

  1. K. Morton(a1), A. Kearney(a2), S. Coleman (a3), M. Viswanathan (a1), K. Chau (a4), A. Orr (a5)and A. Hexemer (a1) 

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0950268819001432

https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/epidemiology-and-infection/article/outbreaks-of-salmonella-illness-associated-with-frozen-raw-breaded-chicken-products-in-canada-20152019/9F1E5C0D2BF560E540C47BA064E7F713