Suspected norovirus at south Sioux City, Nebraska, restaurant
A restaurant/bar in South Sioux City has closed down voluntarily to disinfect its premises after dozens of people became ill after eating there, according to the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services.
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The restaurant/bar at the Marina Inn has closed temporarily on the advice of health officials.
Symptoms are consistent with a norovirus, a highly contagious virus that is spread person to person or by food.
Sprouts linked to Nebraska Salmonella cases
WOWT TV in Omaha and AP are reporting that an outbreak of Salmonella in Nebraska has been linked to a local fresh sprouts producer.
Nebraska Health and Human Services says the initial testing links the outbreak to source-alfalfa sprouts from a local grower, CW Sprouts in Omaha. Public health workers have been interviewing individuals involved in the outbreak, as well as people in a control group that helps interviewers determine the food source. The interviews led epidemiologists to conclude that sprouts were reported in a high number of food histories of ill people, thus there was a strong association with sprouts. Nebraska's chief medical officer Joann Schaefer held a press conference Tuesday releasing the following information: - As of Tuesday, the state health department had confirmed 14 cases of Salmonella in Nebraska. - The cases were reported from Feb. 2 to Feb. 23. And in a great example of good communication, the health authorities said that there really wasn't much a consumer could do once they had the product (other than cook it): While the health department recommended consumers wash all fruits and vegetables before consumption, Schaefer acknowledged that doing so likely would not have prevented the most recent outbreak. Schaefer said officials believe the salmonella was probably within the alfalfa sprouts, and therefore, could not be washed off. "The company does all sorts of washing procedures in its plant," Schaefer said. "It's state of the art. It's probably one of the cleanest facilities we've seen." A clean facility doesn't do a whole lot if the seeds come in contaminated. The warm and humid environment that sprouting plants grow in provide a fantastic situation for pathogens to thrive. Pathogens have been shown to attach and survive within the layers of the sprout, making washing virtually useless..jpg)
The FDA offers the following advice to all consumers concerning sprouts:
- Cook all sprouts thoroughly before eating to significantly reduce the risk of illness.
- Sandwiches and salads purchased at restaurants and delicatessens often contain raw sprouts. Consumers who wish to reduce their risk of foodborne illness should specifically request that raw sprouts not be added to their food.
- Homegrown sprouts also present a health risk if eaten raw or lightly cooked. Many outbreaks have been attributed to contaminated seed. If pathogenic bacteria are present in or on seed, they can grow to high levels during sprouting even under clean conditions.
A selection of past sprouts-related outbreaks can be found here.
Food poisoning sickens 80 at Neb. choir event
Nebraska health officials say more than 80 people fell ill from food poisoning after a choir competition Feb. 21 at Papillion-La Vista High School.
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Food served at the competition came from a range of sources, including vendors and parents who had donated baked goods for a fundraiser.
State epidemiologist Tom Safranek says the illnesses have been traced to improperly handled meat, which was cooked at a family's home.
The illnesses are not linked to a recent outbreak of salmonella that's sickened at least 14 people in eastern Nebraska. State health officials are still investigating the source of those illnesses.
Salmonella outbreak in Nebraska
KETV.com reports tonight that 14 cases of Salmonella have been linked together by DNA fingerprinting in Douglas County, Nebraska:
The first cases were reported earlier this week, in which women younger than 50 -- and all the way into their teens -- were getting infected, said Dr. Ann O'Keefe.
Health experts know all illnesses have been connected to the same strain, but they don't know where it originated.
The strain has been submitted to the Centers For Disease Control and has an identical serotype to the jalapeno and tomato outbreaks in the fall (which was Saintpaul) but a different genetic fingerprint.
Officials are reviewing detailed information from multiple victims in hopes of targeting the strain's source, said state epidemiologist Dr. Tom Safranek.
In the past, Salmonella Saintpaul has been linked to tomatoes/peppers, melons, paprika and sprouts.
New iFSN infosheet: E. coli O157 outbreak linked to Georgia restaurant
The food safety infosheet targeting food handler food safety practices can be downloaded here.
Employee guilty of spitting, urinating in food; cop wins $40K
The employee accused of urinating and spitting in the family's food pleaded guilty last year to violating the Nebraska Pure Food Act and fined $100, according to court records.A jury on Friday found the restaurant negligent. The family's attorney said of the restaurant owner,
"I'd advise them to get a better class of employees."
