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Food Poison Journal

Food Poisoning Outbreaks and Litigation: Surveillance and Analysis

Fayetteville Salmonella Outbreak Likely to Grow

Posted By Bill Marler on May 19, 2013

Nancy McCleary of the Fayetteville Observer reports that more than 1,000 people may have eaten at the Holiday Inn Bordeaux since May 1, the beginning date of a Salmonella outbreak that has sickened at least 51 people, health authorities said Friday.

“We are still tracking the numbers,” said Buck Wilson, director of the Cumberland County Department of Public Health.

As of Friday, 51 people who ate at the hotel since May 1 – its banquet facilities, the Cafe Bordeaux and the All American Sports Bar and Grill – had reported symptoms of salmonellosis, a form of food poisoning, health officials said.

Five people have been hospitalized, officials said.

“Because this facility is along a major interstate, we are broadening our notification to try to reach anyone who may be affected by the outbreak,” said State Health Director Laura Gerald.

Local and state health investigators have not determined the source of the salmonella bacteria, Wilson said.

“It requires an extensive investigation,” he said. “It’s possible that you never narrow it down to a specific source.”

The contaminant could have been spread through food or a cross-contamination of foods and glassware, Wilson said.

7 ill in Georgia 10 ill in Texas with E. coli

Posted By Andy Weisbecker on May 18, 2013

Outbreaks appear not to be related.

At least seven people in Stephens County, Ga., have fallen ill with E. coli in the last several weeks, leading health officials in the area to begin investigating the source of the outbreak, local radio station WNEG reports.

Two of the patients were hospitalized and are now recovering. Most of the seven sickened have been confirmed to have E. coli O157:H7.

Environmental health officials are still investigating the possible source of the outbreak, Georgia District 2 Public Health spokesman Dave Palmer told Food Safety News.

Health investigators in Texas’ Brazos County are looking into ten possible infections of E. coli O157:H7 they suspect may be linked to food.

The Brazos County Health Department has confirmed five of the illnesses, and investigators believe another five patients are infected with the same strain of bacteria.

Two related children under the age of five have been hospitalized at Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston for the past week, The Eagle reports. The other eight cases are adults and were not hospitalized.

5 Hospitalized, 51 Sickened in Holiday Inn Salmonella Outbreak

Posted By Bruce Clark on May 17, 2013

WRAL reports that the number of salmonella cases in Fayetteville continues to rise, with a total of 51 people showing symptoms of the bacterial infection, Cumberland County health officials said Friday.

The number marks an increase from 44 cases reported Thursday and 16 first reported Tuesday. Five people have been hospitalized.

All of the patients reported eating at the Holiday Inn Bordeaux in Fayetteville, and health officials are asking anyone who ate or drank at the hotel since May 1 to be aware of symptoms, including diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps.

The hotel has two restaurants: All American Sports Bar and Grill and The Café Bordeaux. There is also a banquet kitchen.

Minnesota “Team D” Weighs in on Krinos brand tahini Salmonella

Posted By Drew Falkenstein on May 17, 2013

That is “Team Diarrhea.”

State officials investigate Salmonella illnesses linked to Krinos brand tahini

Two Minnesota children sickened with strains of bacteria matching those found in national recall

Two Minnesota residents – both children under one year old – have become ill with salmonellosis linked to eating Krinos brand tahini sesame paste that has been recalled by the manufacturer. State health and agriculture officials today said consumers should not eat Krinos brand tahini from the affected lots and sizes noted below. The product should be discarded, and the lid of the product can be returned to Krinos for a refund.

According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the product was recalled April 28 after the Michigan Department of Agriculture found Salmonella Montevideo in routine sampling. The FDA also found Salmonella Mbandaka in further sampling of the same brand of tahini and the strain matches the DNA fingerprint of a strain associated with a small multi-state cluster of salmonellosis cases.

The Minnesota Department of Health has confirmed that the infection in one of the Minnesota cases matches the Mbandaka outbreak strain and one matches the Montevideo strain. Neither child was hospitalized and both are recovering.

Samples of the tahini from the homes of the Minnesota cases have been collected and are being analyzed by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture Laboratory.

The Krinos brand tahini sesame paste was distributed nationwide through retail stores. It is sold in 1 lb. glass jars, 2 lb. glass jars and in 40 lb. plastic pails. The UPC codes for the products are 0-75013-28500-3 (1 lb. jar), 0-75013-28510-2 (2 lb. jar) and 0-75013-04018-3 (40 lb. pail). The recalled lots have a code stamped on the lid of EXP JAN 01 – 2014 up to and including EXP JUN 08 – 2014 and EXP OCT 16 – 2014 up to and including EXP MAR 15 – 2015.