At least 12 people – primarily children – have likely fallen ill after visiting a petting zoo at a fair in Brisbane, Australia. Four people, including three girls between the ages of six and 13, have tested positive for Shiga toxin-producing E. coli in connection with the Ekka, an annual fair-like agricultural show in Queensland. Health officials in Queensland announced on Monday that another eight visitors had fallen ill with symptoms of E. coli infection. They are still awaiting test results to confirm their infections. At least one patient, a 68-year-old man, has been hospitalized. The state’s chief health officer advised anyone who visited the farm-animal petting area at the Ekka and then experienced bloody or persistent diarrhea to seek medical attention. Health investigators are working to determine which animals at the exhibit may have been carrying the bacteria. Last year, a toddler died after contracting an E. coli infection at a state fair in North Carolina. Food Safety News published an in-depth report this past November on related illness outbreaks: “The Petting Zoo Problem.”
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Authorities in Lithuania are investigating two cases of foodborne botulism linked to fish sold at a market.
The State Food and Veterinary Service (VMVT) conducted an inspection at a market
Parents in Arizona are reporting that their children became infected with E. coli after interaction with animals at the Arizona State Fair petting zoo.
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A Salmonella Enteritidis outbreak traced to eggs that sickened more than 100 people has been declared over by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
There were 105 confirmed patients
Rwanda has lifted a ban on some South African food products that was put in place in 2017 because of a Listeria outbreak that sickened more than 1,000 people.
Koikoi Trading Inc. is recalling certain lots of FU ZHOU FISH BALL products in multiple pack sizes — 200-gram, 400-gram, and 5-pound — because the products may contain undeclared allergens: wheat and
Dan-D Pak brand Raw Macadamia Nuts are being recalled in Canada because of contamination with Salmonella.
The contamination was found as a result of testing by the Canadian Food Inspection
Gerber Products Company is recalling several batches of Gerber Arrowroot Biscuits because of the potential presence of soft plastic and/or paper pieces that should not be consumed.
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Gerber Products Company is recalling batches of Gerber Arrowroot Biscuits in Canada because of the potential presence of soft plastic and/or paper pieces that should not be consumed.
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