17 confirmed and suspected dead in Canadian listeria outbreak
The listeria outbreak in Canada goes from bad to worse as authorities announced Sunday afternoon (Aug. 31/08) there are now 11 confirmed and 6 suspected deaths linked to consumption of Maple Leaf deli meats; further, 33 are confirmed ill and another 25 are suspected of being ill with the outbreak strain. However, no comprehensive timeline for the onset of illnesses has been provided.
The developments over the past week are difficult to keep straight. As journalists probe how this happened – how the risk of Listeria monocytogenes was managed – a number of revelations have emerged:
• employees are alleging that sanitation at the suspect plant was substandard prior to the outbreak and that daily cleaning procedures were not consistently followed or thorough enough;
• U.S. Department of Agriculture audits found that 19 of 20 Canadian plants were not complying with sanitation standards, while Canadian inspectors were not always aware of their duties, "and were not well trained in the performance of their inspection tasks;" Canadian regulators urged the Americans to soften their language;
• Rick Holley of the University of Manitoba said Canada lacks the surveillance systems that could lead to better detection of foodborne illnesses, in stark contrast to the United States, which takes a much more active approach to addressing food safety through the FoodNet system.
• until Friday, when David Williams, Ontario's chief medical officer of health, revealed that most of the fatalities in Ontario occurred in July, no details had been released on when individuals died or when they first became sick;
• a separate outbreak of listeria in cheese has emerged in Quebec sickeneing 47 people and leading to the suspension of product sales from the Île aux Grues cheese company;
• an additional separate outbreak of Salmonella in cheese in Quebec has killed one and sickened at least 87 others and lead to additional recalls of three cheeses manufactured by Fromages La Chaudiere Inc.; and,
• Canada’s minister of agriculture and agri-food, Gerry Ritz, held a news conference Thursday to assure Canadians "our food safety system is the best in the world" and that work will continue to improve it.
And now, a message from Canada's chief public health officer that went on youtube Thursday.
Does Maple Leaf read barfblog?
They've got pictures now.
After posting on Sunday night about the confusion around Maple Leaf's multiple brands and differing
packaging, and seeing consumer reaction to the same, I'm happy to see that Maple Leaf has stepped up with some better comminication. In the below clip from CBC Toronto, one concerned Canadian shopper shows her frustration by saying "it's kind of hard to tell... a lot of things you don't know if they come from the Maple Leaf thing".
My favourite Maple Leaf thing has always been Doug Gilmour, circa 1993.
Maple Leaf foods has posted a viewer-friendly graphic (at the bottom of the notice) of how to determine if a product is part of the recall. I especially like the inclusion of variances of the establishment code.
Possible food poisoning outbreak at Florida State sorority
Looks like I picked the wrong week to visit Florida.
Thirty years before Stephen Colbert used the picture of himself in a picture in a picture, Lloyd Bridges was doing it in the movie, Airplane (right).
And tonight, according to WCTV in Tallahassee, rumors are circulating that more than 70 girls in the Phi Mu house at Florida State University have become very ill and some maybe even hospitalized in a possible outbreak of foodborne illness.
“Some members of the Greek community say it is possible that this outbreak is affecting more than one house and the rumors have many other sororities taking precautions to protect their members.”
Kara Beth Yancey, a FSU sorority member, says her house is going to take more precautions to prevent a similar situation.
"We're not going to stop ordering in but we are going to be a little more cautious on what kind of food we're ordering in."
I wonder what kind of food they’re going to limit the ordering in of? Amy, Courtlynn and me, we’re in Venice, Florida, so maybe we can avoid some of that ordered in food.
Texas: Crypto suspect in child's death
6-year-old Rosemary Stagaman of Richardson died last Tuesday morning in Dallas County. Health officials believe that the death was due to a cryptosporidium infection, but the medical examiner is still waiting on toxicology tests to determine the exact cause of her death. Her family says she tested positive for crypto after swimming in the Greenwood Hills Community Pool. Tests will take 10 days to confirm whether cryptosporidium played a part in the child’s death. If it is related, it would be the first death from the waterborne illness in recent memory.
Since June 2008, Dallas County has confirmed 41 cases of crypto. The crypto outbreak in the area began at Burger’s Lake in Fort Worth. Tarrant County has reported 81 cases of crypto, with 67 of them coming from Burger’s Lake.
All 30 pools of the YMCA of Metro Dallas, along with the city pools, were temporarily closed and hyperchlorinated in an attempt to wipe out the nasty parasite.
Experts are unsure of why there’s been a spike in outbreaks of cryptosporidiosis in recent years. It could be due to poor hygiene standards practiced by parents.
The crypto parasite has a thick outer shell, making it resistant to normal levels of chlorine. Available treatments include hyperchlorination and UV filters. Crypto enters the pool through fecal matter and the infection is especially dangerous to the young an the elderly, as well as the immunocompromised. Swimmers should wash their hands with warm soap water and also take a shower before entering the pool and after using the bathroom.
Illness in Texas jail affects 543 inmates
At one point at least 543 prisoners were experiencing signs of illness. Jail staff suspected that the illness may have been caused by an earlier meal, and officials quarantined numerous food items. Bologna sandwiches and food served with them were being examined for contamination.
Test results from the sampled food have not yet been released.
Possible suspects could be norovirus, Salmonella or E. coli, among others. In an outbreak such as the one in the Galveston County Jail, the close proximity of the prisoners to one another can increase the severity of an outbreak.
Arizona: Phoenix pool closures due to Cryptosporidium
Phoenix city officials have announced that all city pools will be closed after reports of 35 people who swam at Starlight Pool, including 14 from the pool staff, developing symptoms of cryptosporidium.The city of Phoenix says that while the water at all of its pools has been tested and "has continued to meet all water quality standards," it is taking extra precautions. To treat the pools, parks staff is super-chlorinating all of the pools to a level of 40 parts per million of chlorine and maintaining that level of chlorine for 40 hours. The Centers for Disease Control recommends 20 parts per million, but the City of Phoenix is using 40 parts per million to be safe.
Last summer Utah suffered an outbreak of cryptosporidium. Colorado has also suffered outbreaks. Hopefully this summer’s outbreak will be quickly contained and taken care of to avoid large numbers of sickness.
And of course, when using the bathroom at the pool, always wash your hands.
New International Food Safety Network Infosheet -- Foodborne illnesses prompt fine at golf course in Western New York
Click here to download the infosheet.
Doug Powell appears on National Public Radio
Yesterday Doug appeared on NPR Science Friday. The topic was the recent outbreak of Salmonella that has now officially sickened 228 persons in 23 states.
A podcast of the episode is now available online, and can be heard at this location.
UPDATE: No evidence of infectious disease outbreak in train passenger death
illness of another six passengers are not related.
Federal, provincial and local public health officials say there is no evidence of an infectious disease
outbreak in connection with the death of a passenger on a VIA train en route today from Vancouver to Toronto. Lab results so far are all negative for the flu and other respiratory illness.
The train is expected to resume its journey later today.And that makes Charlie happy.
Update: Via Rail train quarantined in N. Ontario after mystery illness hits passengers
Ambulances and police scrambled to the tiny hamlet of Foleyet early Friday morning and have now quarantined the train, which was carrying about 260 passengers and 30 crew members.
As many as 10 people were reported to have flu-like symptoms and at least one person has been airlifted to the Timmins and District Hospital.
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The illnesses appeared to be contained to two train cars.Only emergency response personnel were being allowed on or off the train and could only get on board with full protective gear.
Deborah DesRochers, chairwoman of the town of 380 about 100 kilometres southwest of Timmins, said,
"The whole place is being overrun with ambulances and police cars, and we've got helicopters. They've got the train quarantined. They're trying to isolate what it is."
Provincial police Const. Marc Depatie said officials are still trying to determine exactly what caused the illnesses on the train and whether they're at all related to the fatality.
"We don't know if the element is viral or bacterial or a case of food poisoning."
Chipotle hep A climbs to 14
With 14 cases and so far no employee testing for any signs of Hep A, I wonder if this outbreak is
linked to a common food vehicle from a supplier, or one mixed/prepared in store. Wonder if there has been a spike in what is thought to be sporadic Hep A cases associated with other outlets suppliers sent product to.Today's ifsn infosheet: ground beef products linked to outbreak
keeping foods separate, using clean equipment and handwashing. You can download the infosheet here.
Be appropriate in the kitchen
We hear that some companies build their food safety training around the infosheets, and we are in the midst of evaluating their impact on changing practices with food handlers. As we wrote last week, (and today's sheet is a good example) through iFSN's infosheets, we try to put a compelling spin on food safety information, attempting to draw in even the laziest, creepiest and stonedest of food handlers.
Safe Food Café - Petting zoos and their risk
Food Safety on film
Video Link
iFSN's YouTube profile
Should bagged salads be washed again?
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No. Prewashed bagged salads should not be washed again at foodservice or at home.At least that's what a panel of scientists with expertise in microbial safety of fresh produce concluded after reviewing recent research.
A paper published in the current issue of Food Protection Trends, published by the International Association for Food Protection presents guidelines developed by the panel, together with materials reviewed by the panel to develop the guidelines concluded that,
"leafy green salad in sealed bags labeled “washed” or “ready-to-eat” that are produced in a facility inspected by a regulatory authority and operated under cGMPs, does not need additional washing at the time of use unless specifically directed on the label. The panel also advised that additional washing of ready-to-eat green salads is not likely to enhance safety. The risk of cross contamination from food handlers and food contact surfaces used during washing may outweigh any safety benefit that further washing may confer."
Meanwhile, Eurosurveillance reported last week that
"Early in October 2007, an increase in notifications of human cases infected with Shiga toxin (Stx)-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) O157 was seen in the Netherlands. All cases reported diarrhoea, and most also had bloody diarrhoea. No cases developed haemolytic uraemic syndrome (HUS). The onset of illness for the first cases was in mid-September.
"STEC O157 strains that contained both stx1 and stx2 genes were isolated from 36 patients. Subtyping of these isolates by pulse-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) showed, for 33 cases, an identical pattern not previously observed in the Netherlands. One further isolate was nearly identical to the 33. The two remaining isolates, which were isolated from the siblings of a confirmed case, have not yet been typed.
:The PFGE pattern was compared to the pattern found in Iceland, which appeared to be identical. The Iceland outbreak of STEC O157 is described in an accompanying article. …
"The Dutch Food and Safety Authority (FSA) is investigating the distribution channels of packed fresh vegetables and the individual ingredients. Samples of lettuce and other raw vegetables are being taken, as well as environmental samples at vegetable growers and shredding plants that may be involved. One shredding company for fresh vegetables also cuts and packs lettuce products for Iceland. …
"Five cases had consumed lettuce packaged and imported from the Netherlands, as verified either by questionnaire (three cases) or by supermarket purchase records (two cases). Intensified surveillance in lettuce with increased sampling began in mid-October and is ongoing. Culture results have so far been negative.
The strain that caused the outbreak in Iceland was identified by the Laboratory of Enteric Pathogens at the Health Protection Agency in the United Kingdom as STEC O157, phagetype 8, carrying the stx1 and stx2 shigatoxin genes. The PFGE pattern of all nine Icelandic isolates was identical to the strain that caused the current STEC O157 outbreak in the Netherlands."
Washing probably wouldn't have done much. When it comes to fresh produce, food safety begins on the farm. And don't eat poop.
Listeria kills 2, sickens 12 in Norway
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Aftenposten reported Friday that two patients at the National Hospital in Oslo, Norway, died as a result of an infection linked to listeria and another 12 have been sickened since Oct. 1.Hospital officials were cited as saying the source of the bacteria has not yet been pinpointed, but they said it may have come from contaminated cold food, possibly cheese. All refrigerated food at the hospital has been discarded, but officials said new cases may still arise as the bacteria's incubation period can last for up to a month.
Pregnant women, newborns and adults with weakened immune systems are especially susceptible to listeria. A recent Australian study found that over half of expectant mothers received no information about the risks associated with listeria and certain foods.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control recommendations for persons at high risk, such as pregnant women and persons with weakened immune systems, includes:
-Do not eat hot dogs, luncheon meats, or deli meats, unless they are reheated until steaming hot.
-Avoid getting fluid from hot dog packages on other foods, utensils, and food preparation surfaces, and wash hands after handling hot dogs, luncheon meats, and deli meats.
-Do not eat soft cheeses such as feta, Brie, and Camembert, blue-veined cheeses, or Mexican-style cheeses such as queso blanco, queso fresco, and Panela, unless they have labels that clearly state they are made from pastuerized milk.
-Do not eat refrigerated pâtés or meat spreads. Canned or shelf-stable pâtés and meat spreads may be eaten.
-Do not eat refrigerated smoked seafood, unless it is contained in a cooked dish, such as a casserole. Refrigerated smoked seafood, such as salmon, trout, whitefish, cod, tuna or mackerel, is most often labeled as "nova-style," "lox," "kippered," "smoked," or "jerky." The fish is found in the refrigerator section or sold at deli counters of grocery stores and delicatessens. Canned or shelf-stable smoked seafood may be eaten.
Listeria kills 2, sickens 12 in Norway
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Aftenposten reported Friday that two patients at the National Hospital in Oslo, Norway, died as a result of an infection linked to listeria and another 12 have been sickened since Oct. 1.Hospital officials said the source of the bacteria has not yet been pinpointed, but it may have come from contaminated cold food, possibly cheese. All refrigerated food at the hospital has been discarded, but officials said new cases may still arise as the bacteria's incubation period can last for up to a month.
Pregnant women, newborns and adults with weakened immune systems are especially susceptible to listeria. A recent Australian study found that over half of expectant mothers received no information about the risks associated with listeria and certain foods.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control recommendations for persons at high risk, such as pregnant women and persons with weakened immune systems, includes:
-Do not eat hot dogs, luncheon meats, or deli meats, unless they are reheated until steaming hot.
-Avoid getting fluid from hot dog packages on other foods, utensils, and food preparation surfaces, and wash hands after handling hot dogs, luncheon meats, and deli meats.
-Do not eat soft cheeses such as feta, Brie, and Camembert, blue-veined cheeses, or Mexican-style cheeses such as queso blanco, queso fresco, and Panela, unless they have labels that clearly state they are made from pastuerized milk.
-Do not eat refrigerated pâtés or meat spreads. Canned or shelf-stable pâtés and meat spreads may be eaten.
-Do not eat refrigerated smoked seafood, unless it is contained in a cooked dish, such as a casserole. Refrigerated smoked seafood, such as salmon, trout, whitefish, cod, tuna or mackerel, is most often labeled as "nova-style," "lox," "kippered," "smoked," or "jerky." The fish is found in the refrigerator section or sold at deli counters of grocery stores and delicatessens. Canned or shelf-stable smoked seafood may be eaten.
CBS confuses raw, probiotic
I'm not sure the kids sickened in all the outbreaks linked to raw milk would think they got a load of beneficial bacteria.
Sprouts in Sweden
Eurosurveillance reports today on an outbreak of Salmonella linked to raw alfalfa sprouts in summer 2007 in Sweden, which sickened at least 51 people.
Almost two years ago, Salmonella in mung bean sprouts sickened 650 Ontarians.
Kingston, Ontario, was ground zero for the great Salmonella sprout outbreak of 2005. After 15 students at Queen's University visited the emergency ward. puking and pooping, they tested positive for the same strain of Salmonella, a link was made to raw bean sprouts, and the city decided on Nov. 23, 2005 to warn the public. The next day, Dr. Sheela Basrur, Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health, advised the entire province not to eat raw or cooked bean sprouts, including those from grocery stores, home refrigerators or those served at restaurants.
Like undergarments for Britney Spears, Lindsay Lohan and Paris Hilton, sprouts were de facto banned.
As the number of confirmed sick people rose into the hundreds, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency on November 25, 2005, finally issued an advisory for mung bean sprouts manufactured by Toronto Sun Wah Trading Inc. -- the largest sprout growth facility in the province.
There was lots of press and a bit of outrage, but after bans, investigations, and promises of doing things differently, raw sprouts again became widely available, as soon as three weeks after the outbreak was identified. To borrow the words of a U.S. Food and Drug Administration official commenting on the return of fresh spinach to supermarket aisles in Oct. 2006, the product was "just as safe as it was before the outbreak."
And if it has, the Canadian public would be the last to know.
On December 16, 2005, Kingston lifted its city-wide ban on sprouts after receiving clearance from CFIA, but the local medical officer of health, Dr. Ian Gemmill, was reluctant, stating, "I'm all for getting a definitive answer to this, but so far, our colleagues at CFIA have not provided us with a process that will assure that bean sprouts are not contaminated."
They still haven't.
Two years later, such advisories have been magically lifted and sprouts are being placed ever so gingerly on gourmet, supposedly healthy sandwiches, in the complete absence of any evidence that raw sprouts are any safer than they were before the outbreak.
The consumption of raw sprouts has been linked to over 30 outbreaks of foodborne illness throughout North America in the past 15 year affecting tens of thousands of people (a complete list of North American sprout outbreaks is available at http://www.foodsafetynetwork.ca/en/article-details.php?a=2&c=6&sc=36&id=865).
The first consumer warning about sprouts was issued by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in 1997. By July 9, 1999, FDA had advised all Americans to be aware of the risks associated with eating raw sprouts and that the best way to control the risk was to simply not eat raw sprouts. FDA stated that it would monitor the situation and take any further actions required to protect consumers.
At the time, Canadian media depicted the U.S. response as panic at the disco, quoting Health Canada officials who said while some people were at risk, sprouts were generally a low-risk product.
The 650 sick Ontarians were undoubtedly comforted by such assurances.
Sprouts, by nature, present a special food safety challenge because the way they
are grown -- high moisture and high temperature -- is also an ideal environment for bacterial growth. In addition to their cantankerous temperament, sprouts are impossible to wash, making CFIA’s standby warning to consumers to wash their produce even more pointless than usual.
Because of continued outbreaks, the sprout industry, regulatory agencies, and the academic community, at least in the U.S., pooled their efforts in the late 1990s to improve the safety of the product, including the implementation of good manufacturing practices, establishing guidelines for safe sprout production and chemical disinfection of seeds prior to sprouting.
That approach appears to have reduced the risk in the U.S. as the number of sprout outbreaks has declined. Not so in Canada, where CFIA routinely touts its best practices document.
But are these guidelines actually being followed? And even if they are, is anyone checking?
Thousands of sick people and two years after the world's largest sprout-related outbreak, in a brazenly bizarre demonstration of Canadian politeness, no victims have stepped forward to complain (several have declined to go public at the last minute), no sprout growers have publicly defended their industry, no government-type has publicly stated why raw sprouts are now safe to eat, and no journalist has bothered to follow up. And there has never been any sort of official write-up on the outbreak.
Sprouts in Canada are just as safe and just as dangerous as ever. Sweden too.
Douglas Powell is scientific director of the International Food Safety Network at Kansas State University,
dpowell@ksu.edu
foodsafety.ksu.edu
donteatpoop.com
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