The U.S. Centers for Disease Control reports a total of 425 persons infected with the outbreak strains of Salmonella Bareilly (410 persons) or Salmonella Nchanga (15 persons) have been reported from 28 states and the District of Columbia, up from 390 a month ago. Of those sickened, 55 persons were hospitalized, and no deaths were reported.

Collaborative investigation efforts of state, local, and federal public health agencies linked this outbreak to a frozen raw yellowfin tuna product, known as Nakaochi Scrape, from Moon Marine USA Corporation.

On May 10, 2012, Moon Fishery (India) Pvt. Ltd., the manufacturer of the frozen yellowfin tuna Nakaochi Scrape, expanded the voluntary recall to include its 22-pound boxes of “Tuna Strips”, Product of India, marked as “AA” or “AAA Grade” because the product has the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella.

This was the first documented outbreak of human salmonellosis linked to raw, scraped tuna product in the United States. This was also the first foodborne outbreak of Salmonella Nchanga reported in the United States. Consumers should not eat the recalled frozen raw yellowfin tuna product, known as Nakaochi Scrape, from Moon Marine USA Corporation, and retailers and food service establishments should not serve it.

A total of 316 persons infected with the outbreak strains of Salmonella Bareilly (304 persons) or Salmonella Nchanga (12 persons) have been reported from 26 states and the District of Columbia, up from 258 earlier this month.

Is raw really better?

I don’t know too many microbiologists who go in for the raw sushi, or raw anything.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control reports that of those sickened by sushi eating, 37 have been hospitalized, and no deaths have been reported.

Collaborative investigation efforts of state, local, and federal public health agencies indicate that a frozen raw yellowfin tuna product, known as Nakaochi Scrape, from Moon Marine USA Corporation is the likely source of this outbreak.

Consumers should not eat the recalled product, and retailers should not serve the recalled raw Nakaochi Scrape tuna product from Moon Marine USA Corporation.

Laboratory testing conducted by state public health laboratories in Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Wisconsin has isolated Salmonella from 53 (96%) of 55 samples taken from intact packages of frozen yellow fin tuna scrape from Moon Marine USA Corporation or from sushi prepared with the implicated scrape tuna product.

On April 24, 2012, FDA issued a document that lists observations made by the FDA Representative(s) during the inspection of a Moon Fishery (India) Pvt. Ltd facility conducted as part of this ongoing outbreak investigation.

This investigation is ongoing. CDC and state and local public health partners are continuing surveillance to identify new cases.