Food Poisoning Lawyer & Attorney : Marler Clark : Food Poison Blog

Public health officials in South Dakota have confirmed 22 cases of Salmonella Newport that is similar to a strain of Salmonella Newport that has been identified as causing illness among residents of four other states.  An outbreak investigation is under way to determine whether victims of the outbreak ate the same food, but so far investigators have not been able to pinpoint the source of the outbreak. 

Genetic "fingerprinting" of the Salmonella strain isolated from victims' stool has helped public health agencies in the five states and at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in their investigation.  The process of obtaining the DNA fingerprint is called Pulse Field Gel Electrophoresis, or PFGE. This technique is used to separate the DNA of the bacterial isolate into its component parts. It operates by causing alternating electric fields to run the DNA through a flat gel matrix of agarose, a polysaccharide obtained from agar. The pattern of bands of the DNA fragments — or “fingerprints” — in the gel after exposure to the electrical current is unique for each strain and sub-type of bacteria. By performing this procedure, scientists can identify hundreds of strains of E. coli O157:H7 as well as strains of listeria and campylobacter, and other pathogenic bacteria.  The PFGE pattern of the bacteria can then be compared and matched up to the PFGE pattern of the strain of infected persons who consumed the contaminated product. When PFGE patterns match, they, along with solid epidemiological work, are proof that the contaminated product was the source of a person's illness.

The Rapid City Journal reported on the outbreak today:

So far, health officials have confirmed 22 cases of a specific strain of the bacterial-borne intestinal disorder in the four states. All of South Dakota's 11 cases -- nine adults and two children -- were in the Black Hills area. Six of the 11 victims were hospitalized, five at Rapid City Regional Hospital.

"Everybody's recovering," state epidemiologist Lon Kightlinger of the South Dakota Department of Health in Pierre said Monday. "But since we've had so many of these cases hospitalized, which is fairly unusual, it leads me to believe it is a fairly potent strain."

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Over three dozen people in Arizona, California, Idaho, and Nevada have become ill with a strain of Salmonella since early October, according to reports in the Tucson Citizen and Arizona Republic.  Public health officials from the four states are investigating the source of the outbreak, and presently believe the source to be a food item. 

The Tucson Citizen reported on the outbreak:

Though salmonella outbreaks are not unusual, authorities are trying to identify a common source. A store chain, but likely not a restaurant, may have distributed a food product that hospitalized a dozen people — seven from Arizona — said Shoana Anderson, an infectious disease epidemiologist in Phoenix.

Arizona had 14 cases in all, California 18, Nevada three and Idaho one, Anderson and food-borne disease epidemiologist Joli Weiss said. The illnesses were reported between between Oct. 4 and Nov. 9 and all involved the same strain of the disease.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, most people infected with Salmonella develop diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps 12–72 hours after infection. Infection is usually diagnosed by culture of a stool sample. The illness usually lasts 4 – 7 days. Although most people recover without treatment, severe infections may occur. Infants, elderly persons, and people with impaired immune systems are more likely than others to develop severe illness. In severe infection, Salmonella spreads from the intestines to the bloodstream and then to other body sites, and death can occur if the person is not treated promptly with antibiotics.

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The ConAgra plant that produces the company's Banquet pot pies was closed yesterday among concerns of Salmonella contamination in Banquet chicken pot pies that had been manufactured in the plant.  The Associated Press reported on the closure today:

ConAgra Foods Inc. voluntarily stopped production Tuesday at the Missouri plant that makes its Banquet pot pies after health officials said the pies may be linked to 139 cases of salmonella in 30 states.

ConAgra officials believe the company's pies are safe if they're cooked properly, but the Omaha-based company told consumers Tuesday not to eat its pot pies until the government and company investigations are complete.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture also issued a health alert Tuesday afternoon to warn consumers about the link between the company's product and the salmonella cases.

The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has been tracking reports of the salmonella cases since Wednesday. A CDC spokeswoman said the largest numbers of salmonella cases had been reported in Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Missouri. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a statement about the pot pie Salmonella outbreak, encouraging consumers to avoid any ConAgra-brand pot pies with a code of P-9, since they were produced in the same facility as the Banquet pot pies.

At this time, CDC recommends that people do not eat any Banquet pot pies or pot pies made by ConAgra Foods that have a printed code ending in “P9.” Other brands of pot pies made in the ConAgra Foods factory that makes Banquet brand pot pies and sold under other brand names may also be contaminated with Salmonella. These other pot pie boxes also have a printed code ending in “P9”. If you have any of these products at home, the safest thing to do is to discard them.

This information conflicts with what ConAgra has been telling the public, maintaining that if the pot pies are cooked properly they will be safe for human consumption.  The AP article stated included a few sentences on ConAgra's take on the outbreak:

[ConAgra spokeswoman Stephanie] Childs said ConAgra is confident in the safety of its chicken and turkey pot pies when all the cooking instructions on the package are followed. It is especially important to follow the directions when the pies are cooked in a microwave."

And on the International Food Safety Network's Barf Blog, Dr. Doug Powell wrote his family's experience with purchasing ConAgra-brand Banquet chicken pot pies and their attempt to get proper cooking information from ConAgra:

So Amy and I went to the local supermarket after dinner. We found the products in question, with the P-9 on the side, and on sale, 2-for-$1.

I called the number suggested by ConAgra (see above). After listening to a recorded message, I spoke with a human, who wanted to know my name, zip code, state, and when she got to address, I said, I just want to know how to properly cook these in the microwave, cause the press release says they're safe if cooked properly.

The human hung up.

Amy and I then examined the ingredient list, which included cooked chicken, and mechanically deboned chicken -- but did not specify whether the meat was coked or not. So maybe there is raw poultry in the pot pies, which could be a source of salmonella, or maybe it's all cooked but there was a failure in reaching 165F. Don't know at this point.

With the CDC reporting at least 139 cases of Salmonella epidemiologically linked to the ConAgra outbreak in 30 states - and that number growing - more information certainly will be available for Dr. Powell and others concerned about food safety very soon.

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Idaho health officials are warning that a Salmonella outbreak in southern Idaho has been ongoing since mid-September.  KTRV TV reported on the outbreak:

A number of Salmonella infections have been reported across southern Idaho since mid September.

Experts at the Idaho Health and Welfare Department believe they could be linked to undercooked chicken pot pies.

Residents are being warned to follow cooking instructions carefully -- since some frozen convenience foods are not pre-cooked.

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The Reno Gazette-Journal's Jason Hidalgo reported on the reopen of Jazmine, a restaurant that was recently identified as the source of a Salmonella outbreak, yesterday - the same day that the International Food Safety Network came out with an infosheet about the outbreak.  From the Gazette-Journal article:

Jazmine was ordered closed by the Washoe County District health Department on Aug. 23 after it tested positive for salmonella. The restaurant, which serves up popular Asian fare such as pot stickers, dim sum dumplings, pork ribs and sushi, re-opened its doors for dinner on Aug. 29. The restaurant could have opened two days earlier but had to wait for most of its employees to get approved to return to work.

Despite receiving a clean bill of health to operate again, the restaurant is still struggling to get back customers who have stayed away following the incident.
“Business has dropped tremendously,” said manager and co-owner David Tran. “We’ve lost more than half of our business right now.”

The health department hasn’t been able to trace the source of the outbreak to any particular food in the restaurant. That makes it likely that the source of the outbreak was an infected food handler, said Randall Todd, director of epidemiology at the district health department.

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Pennsylvania health officials are investigating a Salmonella outbreak that may have been caused by close contact with dogs that ate Salmonella-contaminated food.  Lancaster online reported today:

The illness being investigated by the health department is caused by an uncommon strain of salmonella called schwarzengrund. Most of the infections occurred in households with pets or where people are in close contact with pets, but there is no evidence any human consumed pet food.

"While the department is working very closely with federal investigators to identify a specific cause and source for these illnesses, it is important that pet owners understand and follow steps to prevent salmonella infection from occurring," state Health Secretary Dr. Calvin B. Johnson said.

Newsinferno also covered the story:

The Pennsylvania Department of Health said that it is working in conjunction with the Food and Drug Administration to determine the source of the Salmonella poisoning. There are usually around 2,000 cases of Salmonella in Pennsylvania each year. The Pennsylvania outbreak is only the latest bout of Salmonella poisoning to make news recently. In February, more than 600 people were sickened by Salmonella-tainted Peter Pan and Good Value brand peanut butters. This summer, another outbreak that sickened nearly 100 people was traced to seasoning used on Veggie Booty snack mix. And in July, over 700 people in the Chicago area became ill from Salmonella after they ate at the Pars Cove Restaurant food booth at the Taste of Chicago Food Festival.

The Pennsylvania Department of Health issued recommendations for purchasing and properly handling dry dog food in a press release that also contained information about the outbreak:

Since January 2006, Pennsylvania has identified 21 individuals with illness caused by a specific strain of Salmonella serotype Schwarzengrund. Many of the illnesses linked to this strain involve infants and young children, who are especially vulnerable to Salmonella infections. Most of the cases have occurred in households with pets or where people are in close contact with pets, but there is no evidence that any human consumed pet food.

“While the department is working very closely with federal investigators to identify a specific cause and source for these illnesses, it is important that pet owners understand and follow steps to prevent Salmonella infection from occurring,” Dr. Johnson said.

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The City of Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) issued an update on the number of Salmonella illnesses the department is investigating in connection to a Salmonella outbreak at the Pars Cove Persian Cuisine booth at the Taste of Chicago festival.  CDPH announced that as of noon today, 717 people have reported illness they believe to be associated with the consumption of food purchased from the Pars Cove booth.  Of those reporting illness, 116 have been confirmed ill with Salmonellosis through laboratory testing.  78 have been confirmed ill with Salmonella Heidelberg, the outbreak strain.  CDPH reported that 31 people are known to have been hospitalized with Salmonella infections after visiting the Taste of Chicago festival.

The Taste of Chicago Salmonella outbreak is believed to have been caused by contaminated hummus shirazi, a fresh herb tomato cucumber salad over a bed of hummus, -- the only dish served at the Pars Cove booth that was associated with illness. CDPH had yet to determine whether the hummus dish was contaminated by an ill food worker, or if a food ingredient was the source of contamination.

CDPH has stressed in all public announcements that this is the first foodborne illness outbreak associated with Taste of Chicago in at least 20 years.  This week's Food Safety Infosheet from the International Food Safety Network stresses how challenging food safety can become at a festival such as Taste of Chicago:

Festivals provide great food experiences but because they are temporary sites, food preparation, storage and transport can be problematic. What you need to worry about in a kitchen at a festival:

• Temperature control
• Cross-contamination
• Personal Hygiene
• Acquiring food from safe sources

This outbreak highlights that food safety problems happen, even if many inspectors are around -- what matters most is what happens when inspectors aren’t there.

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Grant County, Washington, health officials have reported that a Salmonella outbreak in the county has sickened 11 people since February.  Seven people have been confirmed ill with Salmonella senftenberg since the outbreak began, and four possible cases have submitted samples for testing. 

The Columbia Basin Herald interviewed Grant County health officer Alexander Brzezny for its story on the outbreak:

In the past three weeks the cases in Grant County have been connected through DNA as all being from the same bug, Brzezny said. The health district has several leads on the origin, he said.

"If we find out where it's coming from, I think it's going to be very publishable data because it's rare and it's in Grant County," he said.

Senftenberg salmonella was only discovered in the 1990s, Brzezny noted.

He said the cases in Grant County seem to be isolated and not part of a broad, countywide outbreak.

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KOTV.com and the Chicago Tribune reported that the number of food poisoning cases tied to the Taste of Chicago event had increased to 378 on Friday.  At least 12 people were hospitalized with Salmonella infections after eating at the Pars Cove booth at Taste.  Testing is still being conducted to help health officials determine the extent of the Salmonella outbreak.  According to KOTV:

The only dish connected to the outbreak was an herb tomato cucumber salad that was served on hummus, health officials said. All the reports of sickness came from people who ate at the booth run by Pars Cove Persian Cuisine.

The health department ordered Pars Cove to stop serving hummus at its restaurant until further notice as a precaution. The restaurant's management was cooperating fully in the health department's investigation, officials said.

The Chicago Tribune reported that 38 people had been confirmed ill with Salmonella, and quoted Chicago Commissioner of Public Health, Terry Mason, who said, "The hummus shirazi is implicated -- at least that's one thing that we know now, but the investigation is not complete."

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Andrew Bridges with the Associated Press continued coverage of the Salmonella outbreak traced to Veggie Booty yesterday with a story on the suspected source of the Salmonella in the Veggie Booty.

A New Jersey spice importer supplied the salmonella-contaminated seasoning used on snack food that has sickened 60 people, most of them infants and toddlers, the company recalling the snacks said Thursday.

Robert's American Gourmet Inc. purchased the seasoning from Atlantic Quality Spice & Seasonings, said Robert Ehrlich, president and chief executive of the snack food company. The Sea Cliff, N.Y., company has recalled its Super Veggie Tings Crunchy Corn Sticks and Veggie Booty snack foods, both of which used the spray-on seasoning.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued an update on its investigation into a Salmonella outbreak traced to Veggie Booty, a snack food popular with infants and toddlers, on July 10.  CDC stated in part:

As of July 10 at 11AM ET, 60 persons infected with Salmonella Wandsworth have been reported to CDC from 19 states: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin. Among the patients for whom clinical information is available, 77% developed bloody diarrhea and 10% were hospitalized. No deaths have been attributed to this infection. Onset dates, which are known for 58 patients, ranged from March 4, 2007 to June 15, 2007. Most (90%) of cases have occurred in children aged 10 months to 3 years. During the initial phase of the outbreak, the number of cases gradually increased, with only 8 cases reported from 6 states before May 1, 2007. Health department and CDC investigators worked for weeks conducting interviews with parents of ill children to develop theories about possible sources of infection.

A multi-state case-control study demonstrated a strong association between illness and consumption of Veggie Booty, a snack of puffed rice and corn with a vegetable coating. CDC OutbreakNet staff shared this information with colleagues at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on June 27. After being informed about the outbreak by FDA, the company that manufactures the product issued a voluntary recall on June 28. None of the 60 known illnesses from Salmonella Wandsworth had onset after the product recall date. Persons are advised to discard any product in their possession.

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At least 17 people became ill with Salmonella infections after visiting a particular booth at the Taste of Chicago festival, held last weekend.  The Pars Cove Perisian Cuisine booth at Taste was the common denominator among victims of a Salmonella outbreak that sent at least three people to the hospital, according to the Chicago Tribune.

City of Chicago health department workers are investigating what is believed to be the first food poisoning outbreak traced to food served at the festival in 20 years.  Foods eaten at the Pars Cove booth included cucumber hummus and pomegranate chicken.

In a story for the Chicago Tribune, Emma Graves Fitsimmons and Robert Mitchum reported on the Salmonella outbreak:

In recent days, state labs have confirmed nine cases of stomach illness caused by the Heidelberg strain of salmonella. The number of victims could increase as doctors report patients with salmonella and more serotyping and interviews are completed, she said.

As news of the salmonella outbreak spread Wednesday, the Persian restaurant at 435 W. Diversey Pkwy. was still open for business. Health officials inspected Pars Cove the last two days and tested stool samples from workers for the bacteria.

The inspectors this week found several violations at the restaurant, including unsanitary conditions, improper refrigeration and mouse droppings, said Frances Guichard, director of food protection for the Chicago Department of Public Health. The eatery, which has no record of major problems with the department, was fined $250 for the rodent issues, she said.

The reporters noted that the City of Chicago sent four health department inspectors to visit each Taste of Chicago booth at least four times a day and that at one point during this year's event, inspectors threw out food from the booth in question.

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The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced today that Robert's American Gourmet Food, Inc. is recalling all Veggie Booty Snack Food for potential Salmonella contamination.  The recall announcement was made after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention identified 51 people in 17 states with Salmonella infections that were traced to the consumption of Veggie Booty.  According to the FDA announcement, the victims of the Salmonella outbreak are predominantly children three years of age or younger.

Veggie Booty was distributed nationwide and in Canada in supermarkets, vending machines, health food stores, and through online and telephone orders.  The product was sold in 4 oz., 1 oz., and 1/2 oz. bags. 

Marler Clark has represented thousands of victims of Salmonella outbreaks, and is investigating claims that may be related to the Salmonella outbreak traced to Veggie Booty.

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FDA announced today that it was introducing a multi-year tomato safety initiative to reduce the number of foodborne illnesses traced to tomato consumption in the United States.  The initiative comes on the heels of two Salmonella outbreaks traced to tomatoes last summer and fall.

In a press release announcing the initiative, FDA stated:

The initiative, part of FDA’s Produce Safety Action Plan, is a collaborative effort between FDA and state health and agriculture departments in Florida and Virginia. Several universities and members of the produce industry also are part of the effort. It will begin during this year’s growing season for Virginia in the summer and for Florida in the fall.

During the past decade, the consumption of fresh and fresh-cut tomatoes has been linked to 12 different outbreaks of foodborne illness in the United States. Those outbreaks include 1,840 confirmed cases of illness. The majority of these outbreaks have been traced to products from Florida and the eastern shore of Virginia; however, tomato-associated outbreaks also have been traced to tomatoes from California, Georgia, Ohio, and South Carolina. The effort will include identifying practices or conditions that potentially lead to product contamination, which will allow FDA to continue to improve its guidance and policy on tomato safety. The initiative will evaluate the need for additional produce safety research, education, and outreach.

FDA also said that the Tomato Safety Initiative will go hand in hand with the Leafy Greens Initiative, which was launched in 2006.

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Josh Funk reported for the Associated Press on the CDC's latest update on the number of people confirmed ill with Salmonella infections after eating contaminated Peter Pan and Great Value peanut butter produced by ConAgra:

The number of people sickened since August by peanut butter tainted with salmonella has grown by more than 200, according to a new federal report.

The outbreak, first reported in February, now includes 628 cases in 47 states, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday. It is the first update on the number of cases linked to the outbreak since early March, when officials said 425 cases had been confirmed in 44 states.

ConAgra Foods Inc. recalled all its peanut butter after government investigators linked the bacteria outbreak to the Omaha-based company's Peter Pan and Great Value peanut butter.

Thousands of people became ill with symptoms of Salmonella infections after eating the peanut butter, but did not seek medical treatment, or were never confirmed as being part of the outbreak through laboratory testing.  Marler Clark has been contacted by nearly 5,000 people who were part of the outbreak.

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Racine County health officials are investigating what appears to be a Salmonella outbreak among residents of Racine County.  At least 20 people have been laboratory-confirmed as suffering from Salmonella infections, and it is possible that more cases exist, but that not all people who became ill with Salmonella as part of the outbreak have been diagnosed.  According to an article in the Racine Journal Times:

"The health departments are looking into all reports of illness and all possible sources of acquisition," [health officer Margaret] Gesner said.

The health departments were interviewing affected people to find any potential links, such as an event everyone attended, which would help track down a cause, Gesner said. The health departments were first made aware of a possible outbreak on approximately May 7 when All Saints notified the health department of an increase in Salmonella cases, she said.

Based on current data, it's possible the outbreak has already ended, Gesner said. But she cautioned that could change.

The onset of symptoms in currently reported cases range from May 2 to May 8, Gesner said. People exposed to salmonella can experience an incubation period of up to 72 hours before symptoms appear. Build in time before a person goes to the doctor and time for laboratory testing and it appears no new cases are emerging.

Health officials are also investigating the possibility of whether Salmonella cases in Waushara, Milwaukee, and Kenosha Counies could be connected to the outbreak.

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The bands My Chemical Romance and Muse were forced to cancel recent concerts when band and crew members became ill with food poisoning.  Health officials investigating the incident conducted testing and determined that members were suffering from Salmonella poisoning.  The investigation ultimately led to the determination that the Salmonella outbreak source was the Green Leafe Cafe in Williamsburg, Virginia. 

According to a story at WDBJ7:

Peninsula Health Department officials are focusing their investigation on people who ate food from Williamsburg's Green Leafe Cafe over the weekend of April 27th through the 29th. They've confirmed that the culprit is salmonella bacteria.

Members and crew of the two bands got sick after performing April 28th at the College of William and Mary. Members of a private wedding party and a William and Mary a cappella singing group also got sick.

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