Handwashing is never enough: E. coli outbreak suspected at Oregon fair

Posted on August 18, 2016 by Douglas Powell

Washington County health officials are investigating after cases of Shiga-toxin producing E. coli were reported after some attendants at the Washington County Fair became ill.

No sources has been identified, but public health officials said that livestock at the Washington County Fair may have been a cause, as well as food items brought to the fair from outside.

According to Washington County, anyone who attended the Washington County Fair and has had, or develops, symptoms of stomach cramps, diarrhea, vomiting or fever, should call their health care provider.

“The best way to prevent getting STEC infection is by washing hands well with soap and water,” Baumann said. “It’s very important to wash your hands after using the bathroom or changing diapers, before preparing or eating food, and after contact with animals or their environments at farms, petting zoos and fairs.”

A table of petting zoo outbreaks is available at https://barfblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Petting-Zoo-Outbreaks-Table-5-5-16.xlsx

Best practices for planning events encouraging human-animal interations

Zoonoses and Public Health 62:90-99

Erdozain , K. KuKanich , B. Chapman and D. Powell, 2015

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/zph.12117/abstract?deniedAccess

Educational events encouraging human–animal interaction include the risk of zoonotic disease transmission. ‘It is estimated that 14% of all disease in the USA caused by Campylobacter spp., Cryptosporidium spp., Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) O157, non-O157 STECs, Listeria monocytogenes, nontyphoidal Salmonella enterica and Yersinia enterocolitica were attributable to animal contact. This article reviews best practices for organizing events where human–animal interactions are encouraged, with the objective of lowering the risk of zoonotic disease transmission.

It’s all over now: Another UK E. coli O157 mystery with hundreds sick

Posted on August 17, 2016 by Douglas Powell

There’s a reason the Britain’s contribution to global cuisine is mushy peas and mad cow disease.

I get the UK is a small island, sinking in all kinds of animal shit, but tell us what you are doing for on-farm food safety?

And don’t answer with some bogus certification scheme.

Beginning in December 2010, a subtype of E. coli O157, began sickening Brits and resulted in over 250 sick with 80 hospitalizations, four with hemolytic uremic syndrome, and one death.

Dr. Andrew Wadge, chief scientist at the Food Standards Agency was reported as saying “This outbreak is a timely reminder that it is essential to wash all fruits and vegetables, including salad, before you eat them, unless they are labeled ‘ready to eat’, to ensure that they are clean. It is also important to wash hands thoroughly as well as clean chopping boards, knives and other utensils after preparing vegetables to prevent cross contamination.”

This advice is of limited use. Maybe a 1-log reduction use.

But it blames consumers.

The outbreak was linked to the handling of raw leeks and potatoes, and a public warning was given – reportedly months after a guidance had been issued the food industry on reducing the risk of E. coli cross-contamination.

In Nov. 2015, the BBC reported the number of people infected with E. coli across England rose by more than 1,000 over the previous year.

Public Health England figures show there were 39,604 from September 2014 to September 2015, compared with 38,291 for the same period the year before.

Another mysterious affliction.

Now, once again, the PhD health types are baffled by an outbreak of E. coli O157 in the UK that has sickened at least 161.

Those same health-thingies do say the likely cause of the outbreak was imported mixed salad leaves.

The last recorded case of the bug was on July 5 and now PHE has declared the outbreak over.

People are being urged to remove any loose soil before storing vegetables and thoroughly wash all vegetables and salads that will be eaten raw unless they have been pre-prepared and are labelled ‘ready to eat’.

Because the Brits have a long history of blaming consumers for something that should be controlled on the farm.

Hong Kongerers urged not to consume French raw goat milk cheese contaminated with E. coli

Posted on August 16, 2016 by Douglas Powell

The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department today (August 15) urged the public not to consume a batch of raw goat milk cheese imported from France as it was contaminated with Escherichia coli (E. coli). The trade should also stop using or selling the affected batch of the product.

Product name: Valencay raw milk cheese

Product brand: Anjouin

Place of origin: France

Manufacturer: Fromagerie d’Anjouin

A spokesman for the CFS said, “The Centre received a notification from the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) of the European Commission that certain batches of the above-mentioned raw goat milk cheese were found to have been contaminated with E. coli and the French manufacturer concerned has initiated a recall of the affected products.

According to the RASFF, some of the products under Lot No. V161 have been imported into Hong Kong.”

It wasn’t us: Cheese firm ‘blamed’ for E. coli outbreak slams ‘untrue’ claims

Posted on August 15, 2016 by Douglas Powell

Jane Bradley of The Scotsman reports that Humphrey Errington, owner of Errington Cheeses, which manufactures Dunsyre Blue cheese, says it was “untrue” the cheese was the likely source of an E. coli O157 outbreak last month.

He said that all Dunsyre Blue had tested negative for E.coli and claimed that most of the people who had been diagnosed with the illness and not eaten any blue cheese. Health Protection Scotland said on Friday that the number of people with the infection had risen to 19.

“Health Protection Scotland’s claim that the 19 ill people had consumed Dunsyre Blue is untrue according to the data which they themselves have released; of the 19 ill people, seven may have eaten blue cheese (not necessarily Dunsyre Blue); some never ate any blue cheese.

“We can now say with absolute confidence that, following comprehensive tests and the examination of them by an independent expert microbiologist, there is no evidence whatever for any link to the recent outbreak of illness; the government agency tests have all also proved negative.

“We have to conclude that the HPS/FSS position is based on a malicious prejudice against raw milk cheese, and that this threatens not just our business but the reputation of the whole British artisan cheese industry, one of the great success stories of recent years.”

A spokeswoman for Health Protection Scotland said that Dunsyre Blue “remains the most likely source of this outbreak,” adding, “Based on the detailed information available to the multi-agency team, Dunsyre Blue cheese remains the most likely source of this outbreak, with confirmed cases becoming unwell between July 2 and 15. It would not be appropriate to respond in more detail at present as investigations have not yet concluded. However a formal outbreak report will be produced by the Incident Management Team after the investigation is declared over.”

Fancy food ain’t safe food: 19 sick with E. coli in UK from Dunsyre Blue cheese

Posted on August 13, 2016 by Douglas Powell

Another case of E. coli has been confirmed in an outbreak believed to be linked to blue cheese made in Lanarkshire.

Initially, 16 people were diagnosed with the strain of E. coli O157 with the number of those affected rising to 18 earlier this month.

Health Protection Scotland (HPS) confirmed on Friday that another case has been diagnosed.

The cases developed symptoms between July 2 and 15.

HPS has been working with Foods Standards Scotland (FSS), NHS boards and local authority environmental health teams to investigate and manage this outbreak.

All patients, the majority of whom live in Scotland, are recovering at home, HPS said.

Officials are advising that – as a precaution – Dunsyre Blue cheese purchased between mid-May and the end of July with the batch codes C22 or D14 should not be eaten.

For those who like veal

Posted on August 12, 2016 by Douglas Powell

During site visits of veal processors, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) has reported processing deficiencies that likely contribute to increased levels of veal contamination. Here, we report the results of measuring aerobic plate count bacteria (APC),Enterobacteriaceae, coliforms (CF), and Escherichia coli during eight sample collections at five veal processors to assess contamination during the harvest of bob veal and formula-fed veal before (n = 5 plants) and after (n = 3 plants) changes to interventions and processing practices.

Hides of veal calves at each plant had mean log CFU/100 cm2 APC,Enterobacteriaceae, CF, and E. coli of 6.02 to 8.07, 2.95 to 5.24, 3.28 to 5.83, and 3.08 to 5.59, respectively. Preintervention carcasses had mean log CFU/100 cm2 APC, Enterobacteriaceae, CF, and E. coli of 3.08 to 5.22, 1.16 to 3.47, 0.21 to 3.06, and -0.07 to 3.10, respectively, before and 2.72 to 4.50, 0.99 to 2.76, 0.69 to 2.26, and 0.33 to 2.12, respectively, after changes were made to improve sanitary dressing procedures. Final veal carcasses had mean log CFU/100 cm2 APC, Enterobacteriaceae, CF, and E. coli of 0.36 to 2.84, -0.21 to 1.59, -0.23 to 1.59, and -0.38 to 1.45 before and 0.44 to 2.64, -0.16 to 1.33, -0.42 to 1.20, and 0.48 to 1.09 after changes were made to improve carcass-directed interventions. Whereas the improved dressing procedures resulted in improved carcass cleanliness, the changes to carcass-directed interventions were less successful, and veal processors are urged to use techniques that ensure uniform and consistent delivery of antimicrobials to carcasses. Analysis of results comparing bob veal to formula-fed veal found bob veal hides, preintervention carcasses, and final carcasses to have increased (P < 0.05) APC, Enterobacteriaceae, CF, and E. coli (with the exception of hideEnterobacteriaceae; P > 0.05) relative to formula fed veal. When both veal categories were harvested at the same plant on the same day, similar results were observed.

Since identification by FSIS, the control of contamination during veal processing has started to improve, but challenges still persist.

Contamination revealed by indicator microorganism levels during veal processing

01.aug.2016

Bosilevac, Joseph M.1; Wang, Rong2; Luedtke, Brandon E.3; Wheeler, Tommy L.2; Koohmaraie, Mohammad4

1: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Meat Animal Research Center, P.O. Box 166, State Spur 18D, Clay Center, Nebraska 68933, USA;, Email: mick.bosilevac@ars.usda.gov 2: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Meat Animal Research Center, P.O. Box 166, State Spur 18D, Clay Center, Nebraska 68933, USA 3: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Meat Animal Research Center, P.O. Box 166, State Spur 18D, Clay Center, Nebraska 68933, University of Nebraska Kearney, 905 West 25th Street, Kearney, NE 68849, USA 4: IEH Laboratories and Consulting Group, 15300 Bothell Way N.E., Lake Forest Park, Washington 98155, USA

Journal of Food Protection, August 2016, Number 8, Pages 1341-1347, DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.4315/0362-028X.JFP-15-572

http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/iafp/jfp/2016/00000079/00000008/art00006

Not a Letterman list: Top 6 STECs in Canada

Posted on August 12, 2016 by Douglas Powell

The incidence of the top 6 STEC serotypes was determined in two beef slaughter houses. In total, 328 samples were taken of hides, de-hided carcasses and the plant environment. Samples were enriched in Tryptic Soy Broth containing novobiocin then screened using RT-PCR GeneDisk^Ò system that targeted stx, eae and wzx genes.

It was found that 92.5% (172 of 186) of the hide samples. 72.5% (29 of 40) de-hided samples and 84.3% (86 of 102) of the environmental samples returned presumptive positive results. Serotypes O103, O45 and O121 were most commonly encountered although all the Top 6 serotypes were represented within individual samples. However, attempts to recover the Top 6 serotypes by culturing proved unsuccessful despite screening up to 20 colonies per CHROMAgar^® plate of enriched sample. The reasons for the discrepancy between the RT-PCR and culture methods were found to be due to low levels of the target in enriched samples, presence of virulence factors in different cells and also the transient retention of stx. With regards the latter it was found that strains harboring a full set of virulence factors (eae, stx) were more common in grown cultures held post-incubation at 4 °C for 14 days. Moreover, no stx gene was recovered when isolates were sub-cultured on TSA but was present in the same strains grown on CHROMAgar^®. In total 39 STEC isolates were recovered with the majority harboring stx₁, stx₂, eae and hylA. Only 3 of the isolates had stable complement of virulence factors and were identified as O172:H28, O76:H7 and O187:H52.

Although no Top 6 STEC were isolated the presence of virulent strains on carcasses with the potential to cause Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome is of concern. The significance of those STEC that transiently harbor virulence factors is unclear although clearly impacts on diagnostic performance robustness when screening for the Top 6 non-O157 STEC.

Incidence of Top 6 shiga toxigenic Escherichia coli within two Ontario beef processing facilities: Challenges in screening and confirmation testing

AIMS Microbiology, 2016, 2(3): 278-291. DOI: 10.3934/microbial.2016.3.278

Bannon, M. Melebari, C. Jordao Jr., C.G. Leon-Velarde, K. Warriner

http://www.aimspress.com/article/10.3934/microbiol.2016.3.278

Testing beef trim: Yes, people try to do their best

Posted on August 11, 2016 by Douglas Powell

The objective of this study was to determine the immediate source of Escherichia coli on beef trimmings produced at a large packing plant by analyzing the E. coli on trimmings at various locations of a combo bin filled on the same day and of bins filled on different days.

Ten 2,000-lb (907-kg) combo bins (B1 through B10) of trimmings were obtained from a large plant on 6 days over a period of 5 weeks. Thin slices of beef with a total area of approximately 100 cm2 were excised from five locations (four corners and the center) at each of four levels of the bins: the top surface and 30, 60, and 90 cm below the top. The samples were enriched for E. coli in modified tryptone soya broth supplemented with 20 mg/liter novobiocin. The positive enrichment cultures, as determined by PCR, were plated on E. coli/coliform count plates for recovery of E. coli. Selected E. coli isolates were genotyped using multiple-locus variable-number tandem repeat analysis (MLVA).

Of the 200 enrichment cultures, 43 were positive by PCR for E. coli, and 32 of these cultures yielded E. coli isolates. Two bins did not yield any positive enrichment cultures, and three PCR-positive bins did not yield any E. coli isolates. MLVA of 165 E. coli isolates (30, 62, 56, 5, and 12 from B6 through B10, respectively) revealed nine distinct genotypes. MLVA types 263 and 89 were most prevalent overall and on individual days, accounting for 49.1 and 37.6% of the total isolates, respectively. These two genotypes were also found at multiple locations within a bin. All nine genotypes belonged to the phylogenetic group A0 of E. coli, suggesting an animal origin.

The finding that the trimmings carried very few E. coli indicates an overall effective control over contamination of beef with E. coli at this processing plant. The lack of strain diversity of the E. coli on trimmings suggests that most E. coli isolates may have come from common sources, most likely equipment used in the fabrication process.

Spatial and temporal distribution of Escherichia coli on beef trimmings obtained from a beef packing plant

01.aug.2016

Visvalingam, Jeyachchandran1; Wang, Hui1; Youssef, Mohamed K.2; Devos, Julia1; Gill, Colin O.1; Yang, Xianqin3

1: Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lacombe Research Centre, 6000 C & E Trail, Lacombe, Alberta, Canada T4L 1W1 2: Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lacombe Research Centre, 6000 C & E Trail, Lacombe, Alberta, Canada T4L 1W1, Department of Food Hygiene and Control, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Cairo University, Giza 11221, Egypt 3: Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lacombe Research Centre, 6000 C & E Trail, Lacombe, Alberta, Canada T4L 1W1;, Email: xianqin.yang@agr.gc.ca

Journal of Food Protection, August 2016, Number 8, Pages 1325-1331, DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.4315/0362-028X.JFP-15-598

http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/iafp/jfp/2016/00000079/00000008/art00004

E. coli free, Carbón Live reopens a month after outbreak

Posted on August 4, 2016 by Douglas Powell

After more than a month, a handful of lawsuits and 68 customers affected from E. coli, Ashok Selvam of Eater reports Chicago’s health department has ruled that Carbón Live Mexican Grill can reopen.

However, DNAinfo reported that the health department couldn’t determine the source of the bacteria that sickened customers. The Bridgeport restaurant had been closed since late June’s outbreak.

The owners of Carbón haven’t publicly commented since their restaurant closed, and there’s no mention on their social media channels. The health department did day that they fully cooperated with officials. They temporarily closed their West Town location and also withdrew as a vendor at The Taste of Chicago as cautionary measures.

Attorneys circled around affected customers, looking for new clients to represent in lawsuits against the restaurant. There haven’t been any updates on those cases.

People are sick: Michigan cheesemaker recalls 10 tons of organic product after STEC discovered

Posted on August 3, 2016 by Douglas Powell

Jim Harger of MLive reports that Grassfields Cheese LLC, is conducting a recall of about 20,000 pounds of organic cheeses due to possible contamination with Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC).

The company is voluntarily recalling the cheeses “out of an abundance of caution,” according to a recall notice issued by the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) on Wednesday, Aug. 3.

“The potential for contamination was identified during an ongoing investigation of seven cases of human illnesses occurring between March and July 2016 caused by a same type of STEC,” according to the recall notice.

The department’s Geagley Laboratory confirmed the presence of STEC bacteria in a sample of Grassfields cheese collected by state food and dairy inspectors, according to the announcement.

The recall involves all types and sizes of organic cheeses manufactured by Grassfields between Dec. 1, 2015 through June 1, 2016 including: Gouda, Onion ‘n Garlic, Country Dill, Leyden, Edam, Lamont Cheddar, Chili Cheese, Fait Fras, Polkton Corners and Crofters. The cheeses were sold as wheels, half wheels, and wedges of various sizes.

The recalled cheeses were sold from the firm’s retail store at 14238 60th Ave., Coopersville MI 49404, to wholesale and retail customers, and to consumers nationwide via sales through the firm’s website: http://www.Grassfieldsscheese.com/.

Owned by the same family since 1882, Grassfields Cheese switched from confinement farming to grass-based pasture farming in 1991. They added artisan cheeses and a farm store in 2002. And in 2007, they were certified as an organic dairy.

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