Tag Archives: staphylococcus

38 hospitalized in Thailand: Staph in eclairs

Posted on by
Reply

The number of people hospitalised after eating eclairs at branches of a big retail store in Nan township rose to 38 as health inspectors began a full inquiry.

eclair-thailandOfficials said that in all 38 people who purchased the cream puffs had sought treatment at several hospitals in 6 districts.

Sakolkrit Sukhawattanakul, manager of the store’s outlets in the North, said a thorough examination would be made of the production process to find out the exact cause of the food poisoning. Production and sale of the eclairs would cease until the matter is cleared up. He would visit the patients and take responsibility for the incident.

Buffett from hell: 31 sickened with Staph at a horsey event in Luxembourg

Posted on by
Reply

In June 2014, a staphylococcal food poisoning outbreak occurred at an international equine sports event in Luxembourg requiring the hospitalization of 31 persons.

horseWe conducted a microbiological investigation of patients and buffet items, a case–control study and a carriage study of catering staff. Isolates of Staphylococcus aureus from patients, food and catering staff were characterized and compared using traditional typing methods and whole genome sequencing.

Identical strains (sequence type ST8, spa-type t024, MLVA-type 4698, enterotoxin A FRI100) were isolated in 10 patients, shiitake mushrooms, cured ham, and in three members of staff. The case–control study strongly suggested pasta salad with pesto as the vehicle of infection (p<0.001), but this food item could not be tested, because there were no leftovers. Additional enterotoxigenic strains genetically unrelated to the outbreak strain were found in four members of staff. Non-enterotoxigenic strains with livestock-associated sequence type ST398 were isolated from three food items and two members of staff.

The main cause of the outbreak is likely to have been not maintaining the cold chain after food preparation. Whole genome sequencing resulted in phylogenetic clustering which concurred with traditional typing while simultaneously characterizing virulence and resistance traits.

 Investigation of a Staphylococcal food poisoning outbreak combining case control, traditional typing, and whole genome sequencing methods

Eurosurveillance, Volume 20, Issue 45, November 2015

  1. Mossong, F. Decruyenaere, G. Moris, C. Ragimbeau, C.M. Olinger, S. Johler, M. Perrin, P. Hau, P. Weicherding

http://www.eurosurveillance.org/ViewArticle.aspx?ArticleId=21301

Various Canadian store-packaged, cooked Chicken Wings recalled due to a toxin produced by Staphylococcus bacteria

Posted on by
Reply

Safeway is recalling various store-packaged, cooked Chicken Wings from the marketplace because they may contain the toxin produced by Staphylococcus bacteria. Consumers should not consume the recalled products described below.

wingrecall1The following cooked products have been sold in Safeway locations in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario.

Recalled products

Brand Name Common Name Size Code(s) on Product UPC
Safeway Party Pack Chicken Wings Hot Salt N Pepper Variable All codes sold up to and including August 14, 2015 236500
Safeway PPK Wings Mix flavors Hot Variable All codes sold up to and including August 14, 2015 256870
Safeway Pinty’s Wings Salt and Pepper Hot Variable All codes sold up to and including August 14, 2015 236524
Safeway Pinty’s Wings Salt and Pepper Cold Variable All codes sold up to and including August 14, 2015 236523

What you should do

Check to see if you have recalled products in your home. Recalled products should be thrown out or returned to the store where they were purchased. Consumers who are unsure if they have purchased affected products should check with their retailer.

Food contaminated with Staphylococcus toxin may not look or smell spoiled. The toxin produced by Staphylococcus bacteria is not easily destroyed at normal cooking temperatures.  Common symptoms of Staphylococcus poisoning are nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramping and fever. In severe cases of illness, headache, muscle cramping and changes in blood pressure and pulse rate may occur. 

Background

This recall was triggered by the manufacturer. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is conducting a food safety investigation, which may lead to the recall of other products. If other high-risk products are recalled, the CFIA will notify the public through updated Food Recall Warnings.

The CFIA is verifying that industry is removing recalled products from the marketplace.

Illnesses

There have been no reported illnesses associated with the consumption of these products.

55 sickened: Staph in soup sent homeless to hospital in Utah

Posted on by
1

The Salt Lake County Health Department has determined that a food item served at a dining hall was likely the cause of illnesses that sent nearly 60 people who are homeless to hospitals in Salt Lake City Sunday night.

Hands of Homeless Man Receiving Bowl of SoupAccording to a press release from the Salt Lake County Health Department, investigators determined that soup served at St. Vincent de Paul Dining Hall contained Staphylococcal enterotoxin, which is a common cause of foodborne illness when the bacteria is introduced to improperly heated or cooled food. The bacteria is found on human skin.

“I felt like my stomach was going to actually explode — it felt like my intestines were going to explode. I started vomiting before the paramedics got there,” Mark Hofheins told FOX 13 News earlier this week.

The release states St. Vincent de Paul Dining Hall has cooperated fully with the department and that investigators began observing kitchen operations Monday to ensure kitchen workers were following health regulations.

Officials stated the kitchen undergoes surprise inspections twice each year and has “consistently done well” in those.

“This incident at St. Vincent de Paul Dining Hall appears to be an isolated food handling error,” said Andrea Gamble, SLCHD environmental health scientist. “Unfortunately, a single lapse in temperature controls or food-contact protocols can cause problems.”

Health Department officials said a dining hall must follow the same rules for food service as a restaurant, and as such volunteers who do not have a food handler’s permit can only serve food that has already been prepared by those at the dining hall who do have the necessary permits.

Ham knuckles with staph, oysters with noro fell 94 at French rugby cocktail party

Posted on by
Reply

I thought rugby match cocktail parties only happened with cans of Brockman’s beer after the games; I have seen Invictus. It’s the way hockey players do it – especially the girls.

The Institut de Veille Sanitaire in France reports today (thanks Albert) that on Feb. 20, 2010, the Fire and Rescue Service of the Hérault district informed the Regional Health Authorities that symptoms such as stomach ache, nausea, vomiting were diagnosed among around 15 people taking part in a rugby match cocktail party.

One person was taken to the local emergency hospital service. … A total of 94 cases and 110 controls were reported among the people taking part in the cocktail party. Two successive epidemic events were identified with distinct symptoms and median incubation periods of 3.5 and 30 hours. The results of the epidemiological, biological and veterinary investigations were in favor of an intoxication of the early cases due to the ingestion of knuckle of ham pieces contaminated by Staphylococcus aureus (OR=3.75; IC=[1.91; 7.35] p=0.001) and an intoxication of late cases due to the ingestion of oyster contaminated by Norovirus (OR=32.22; IC=[7.09 ; 146.34] p<0.001). In this investigation, food and pathogens at the origin of the contamination were identified. This outbreak stresses the importance of respecting hygiene measures in collective catering and defining first management measures as soon as the results of the investigation are known.

Full report only in French, http://www.invs.sante.fr/publications/2010/Tiac/Rapport%20Tiac.pdf